A New Breed
by Lunar Mitchell
Summary: Seventeen years old Renesmee Cullen is struggling to fit in. She wasn't human, she wasn't a vampire and she was most definitely not a werewolf. As she begins to question the path that her vampire family has provided for her, she meets a mysterious vampire
1. Belong

Chapter 1

The sun is shining this morning. I let out a sigh. On a sunny day, I always take precaution. I put on a long sleeve shirt, a pair of jeans and a baseball cap. Grandpa is already off to work at the police station so I grabbed my keys and headed out the door. I got to school just in time to see my friends hanging out in the parking lot. My friend Brooklyn greeted me right away: "Hey Ness!" She was chatting with 2 other girls, Jen and Karen. They both turned to look at me and smiled politely. I know they don't like me. They find me a little weird. So do most of the students at this school. Only Brooklyn seems to be immune to the vibe or whatever it is that my half-vampire self gives off. "Hey you guys" I said it as coolly as I can manage. Jen narrowed her eyes and said: "Is that…glitter on your face?" I self-consciously pull my baseball cap lower to shade my whole face. Crap. I couldn't believe she noticed my sparkly vampire skin. I stammered out a response. "yeah, I was using some…er…glitter glue this morning, it must have, um…gotten on my face…" Karen burst out laughing and said: "what are you, like, 4 years old?" Brooklyn interrupted her "Hey, glitter glue is cool, I love that stuff! Come on, let's go inside." I got to my locker without humiliating myself any further. I yanked open the door and shoved my small insulator bag deep inside my locker. I sighed. I hated what was inside that bag. Beside the small ice pack was a silver vial full of animal blood. Like an addict, I take a hit of blood every morning just before class to make sure my craving is under control as I walk into a classroom. I took the silver vial out and shoved it into my school bag. Suddenly I became aware of a familiar smell. Jacob. I close the locker door and there he was leaning against the locker beside mine.

" Jake, please go away." I pleaded. I felt bad saying that to him.

"Gee Ness, Good morning to you too!"

"I'm sorry. It's just that I already look like a freak show without having a wolf standing next to me." I whispered. " Can't I belong somewhere for once?"

Jake considered that for a second and said: "You belong with us."

"By us, do you mean the vampires or the werewolves? Because I can't phase into a wolf and I can't go without breathing, so what the heck am I?" I said breathlessly in a low voice.

Just then, Marc walked by and said "Hey Ness, how is it going?" I smiled at him. Jacob gave Marc an angry stare. Marc looked a little surprised and continued walking to class.

"Jake! Stop that!" I hissed at him. Marc looked back at us twice as he walked down the hall. So much for me trying to look normal. It certainly doesn't help the case when your 7-foot-tall boyfriend stares down anyone who tries to be friendly to you.

"Just go, I will see you later, ok?"

Jacob shook his head slowly: "You know they will never understand you." He turned around to leave. As he was walking off he added "By the way, Bella wants you to call, preferably sometime within this century." I scowled at him. I knew he said that loudly just to annoy me.

It was almost time for class. I hurried into the women's washroom and locked myself inside one of the stall. I took out the silver vial and held it tight in my hand. I hated that my mouth was already watering. I opened up the vial and shot the content down my throat. A rush of relief came over me and then I wanted more. I jerked the vial violently until the very last drop was in my mouth. I couldn't suppress the snarl that came out of my throat. I wanted more blood. I cover my mouth with both of my hands as a drop of tear started rolling down my cheek. Hold yourself together! I thought to myself. I can overcome this. The school bell rang. I took in a deep breath and walked out of the washroom.


	2. The first encounter

Chapter 2

It has been a rough week. It seems like the more I try to be normal, the more I would screw up and look like a total freak. I opened up my locker and stared at the insulation bag. I have never tried to skip blood in the morning. It would be too risky, as my mom would say. She would also say that I was special, one of a kind and I shouldn't try to be like everyone else. That is easy for her to say. She is a full vampire. She belongs in the vampire world. I am sick of being 'special'. I am really more like human than anything else. I have a heartbeat, I breathe and I also need to avoid vampires, well, the strangers. I shove the insulation bag deep into the locker and slammed the door closed. I know I am strong enough to overcome my craving. I walked to my first class feeling empowered by my decision.

By the middle of the second period, I was feeling anxious and fidgety. A few students stared at me and then averted their eyes quickly. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it through the rest of the day. Suddenly I was acutely aware of the smell of blood from all the students in the room. My throat was aching dry. Luckily the bell rang at that moment and I dashed straight out of the school. I was deep in the forest when I stopped running. Any minute now Alice might show up and drag me home with her. Thank goodness she can't see me clearly. Being a half-breed somehow messes up her future vision. I just have to keep making an array of decisions in my head to throw her off course. Just then, I crossed path with a deer and I instantly sank my teeth into its body. The warm blood quenched my thirst. I finished off the deer so quickly that I was disgusted with my appetite. I threw the carcass aside and cover my face with my hands. I hate myself. I wanted to cry. All of sudden, I was aware of someone near. I gasped and looked around. A vampire. He skin was bone pale and he was standing so still next to the tree. I ran with full speed to get away from him. A vampire stranger is extremely dangerous to me. They treat me no different than any other human. I would probably be killed before they have a chance to notice I was half vampire. He was right on my heels. I switched direction and he followed.

"Wait!" he called out. "I just want to talk"

I have heard that one before. I didn't stop running. I started to panic when I saw the river ahead. Could I jump across? I hesitated and he caught up to me. I turned around to face him. My head was racing with thoughts. Oh no, Alice, can you see me? Where the heck is Jacob? I am so sorry, mom and dad, I should have listened and stayed away from the forest.

"Don't run, I promise I won't hurt you." He said. He looked at me curiously, narrowing his deep red eyes. "I can hear your heart and smell your blood but you don't run like a human…what are you?"

My breathing was calming down. This is just great. I am a freak among freaks. "I am half-human, half-vampire", I replied.

"A half-breed!" he exclaimed. I hate being called that. " I have never met one before." He marvelled.

"Are you going to kill me?" I asked.

"Why would I? You are a half-vampire after all." He said in a velvety voice. I wasn't sure if I could trust him so I try threatening him.

"My parents take a permanent residence here. They would be quite upset if they find you hunting in their territory."

He considered that for a second and replied: "I am just passing through on my way to Seattle." He flashed a brilliant smile at me and continued, "Of course, I didn't expect to run into someone so breathtakingly interesting. Maybe I will stay for a few days."

I stared at him with disbelief. Usually vampires stay clear of each other's territory. What was wrong with him? I wonder how long he has been a vampire. He didn't look much older than my human age. But I knew better than to believe that was his true age. For all I know he could be centuries old. He chuckled lightly and started turning away slowly. He is leaving?

"What's your name?" I blurted out suddenly. Why did I want to know his name?

He smiled and said: "I will see you around." And then he disappeared into the forest. I was left standing and staring after him like an idiot. My palms were sweaty and my heart was pounding.


	3. Wesley

Chapter 3

That night, I had a dream. I saw him in the forest, beckoning me to go towards him. I couldn't get any closer to him. Someone was pulling me back. I yelled out to him but he just smiled at me. I woke up and felt a cool hand on my face. I gasped. Two sets of golden eyes stared at me. Alice and Rosalie were sitting on my bed.

"Good morning, Nessie!" Rosalie sang as she gave me a hug.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" cried Alice.

"Alice saw a vampire with you in the forest, she dragged me here this morning to make sure you were still alive." Rosalie explained, rolling her eyes at Alice.

"I wasn't in the forest, Alice, and I didn't meet any vampire" I lied quickly.

"You see, Alice? I told you it was false vision again. You always get those with Nessie." said Rosalie. Alice frowned.

I felt guilty for lying. I have never lied to them before, why did I just lie?

"Well, it's a good thing Jacob is always with you. You really should let him enrol at your school." Said Alice.

" No. I want to be normal! Having a 7-foot-tall werewolf shadowing my every move is not exactly the life of a typical teenage girl."

I sighed. I miss Jacob, but sometimes, he could get a little overwhelming. He couldn't understand why none of his pack's imprint girlfriends have the same need for independence and space. Carlisle thinks it might be because Jacob was only able to imprint on my human half but not my vampire half.

"Well, I better get ready for school" I announced to my two vampire aunts as I got off my bed.

"Have a good day, Nessie!" said Rosalie and she kissed the top of my head. Alice was still frowning a little. She gave me a quick hug and reminded me to call my mom and dad.

The day started slowly but then the hours passed quickly while I was at school. I was going to meet Jacob after school today. I was looking forward to it. I got home quickly and parked my car on the driveway. Grandpa wasn't home yet. His police cruiser was nowhere in sight. That means I get to have some alone time with Jacob. I couldn't help but smile at the prospect. Something flashed by me and I gasped.

"What's for dinner, Nessie?"

He was standing on the porch with a wicked smile on his face. He was tall, slim and even more beautiful than I remember from our last encounter. His blond hair reminds me of Carlisle. Only he styled it differently, shorter and spikier.

"It's Renesmee. You know my name and I don't know yours. That hardly seems fair." I said to him.

He walked down the steps and began circling around me slowly, like a shark.

"Does that mean you want to be friends?" He asked.

"Name?" I insisted. He seemed amused by my persistence.

"I am Wes, it is a pleasure to meet you" He bowed slightly and reached out to take my hand. I jerked away quickly.

"I said I wouldn't hurt you." He reminded me.

"No, I am not scared of you. I just…" I just don't want you to think I am a freak. I thought to myself.

"What is it?" He asked.

"You wouldn't understand". I sighed, remembering what Jacob said to me. I suddenly felt an urge to prove Jacob wrong.

"Nothing is ever that complicated." He said in his velvety voice. I took in a deep breath.

" Let me show you." I reach out and placed my hand on his cool, marble face. In my head, I replayed the memory of the last time we met in the forest. He gasped.

"What…How are you doing that?" He took my hand off his face slowly and looked curiously into my eyes. My face felt warm. I quickly looked down at the ground.

"I am sorry," he said, letting go of my hand. " I am making you uncomfortable." He took a step away from me.

"Wait!" I said. I was afraid that he was going to disappear again. Out of nowhere, Jacob jumped out in his wolf form, growling violently at Wes.

"Stop it, Jake! He is a friend " I screamed at Jacob.

"You know this wolf?" Wes asked with one eyebrow raised. Jacob was still growling. His hair on his back was standing straight up.

"Maybe you should go, Wes" I said quickly.

"Sure…Interesting pet you have."

Jacob lunged forward but Wesley had already disappeared.


	4. Bad hero

Chapter 4

Since the last encounter with Wes and Jacob in front of my grandpa's house, Jacob had been following me everywhere. I continued to refuse his plea to enrol at my school. I needed to have other friends. I needed space. Anyways, if Wes wanted to harm me, he would have done that already. He wasn't dangerous.

"You don't know that, Bel..Nessie." Jacob caught himself calling me Bella again.

I hated when he called me Bella by mistake sometimes. I didn't look that much like my mother.

"I told the pack already, so you might as well tell your parents about Wes." Jacob suggested.

Forget that. I am not telling my parents anything. I will never hear the end of it.

"He was just passing by, I bet he is already in Seattle by now." I bit my lower lip.

Jacob took both my hands in his and looked deep into my eyes.

"Ness, you know I love you and I won't let anyone hurt you."

He moved one of his hands to caress my cheek. His hands felt so warm, almost hot. I buried my face into his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist. I felt so lucky to have Jacob. He was always there for me, no matter what kind of trouble I get myself into. It was just a little overwhelming sometimes. His pack and my vampire family were pretty much expecting us to get married someday. Lately, this expectation had started to bother me. It was starting to feel more like an obligation, a duty, to marry Jacob rather than true love. I couldn't talk to Jacob about this. I really didn't want to hurt his feelings.

School was my only break from Jacob. I slammed my locker door closed and I was surprised to see Wes leaning against the next locker. He wore a pair of sunglasses to hide his eyes.

"I suppose your pet is not allowed in the school?" He asked playfully.

"The pack knows about you being in the area. You really should go. They will hunt you down" I didn't want him to leave but I had to warn him.

"They will never catch me." He said confidently. "Besides, I really want to stay."

My heart skipped a beat. I quickly changed the subject.

"How can you be so calm with all these people here?" I whispered.

Most vampires can hardly stop salivating when they are near humans.

"Well, I have always been a picky eater, I guess that trait sort of stuck with me" He flashed his wicked smile at me.

"So what are you doing here?" He asked. "You are not exactly one of them." He turned his face to look at the students passing by. Some of them were staring at Wes.

"I am not exactly one of your kind either." I said in a low voice.

He leaned a little closer to me. His breath was deliciously sweet.

"It's easier to be with me than to be with them, wouldn't you say?" He asked. I couldn't form a reply.

"Come hang out with a vampire today." His soft voice was so compelling.

"I am done hanging out with vampires." I said.

That was why I decided to live with my grandpa. I was too different than the rest of my vampire family. They always have to be so careful around me. I didn't want to be a burden to them anymore.

"Ok…then, how about you come hang out with me because you want to?" He whispered in my ear.

My face was getting warm again. I thought about what I was going to miss at school. It was not much. The idea of ditching class today was attractive.

"Let's go." I said as the school bell rang.

Wes smiled and led the way out. Once we were out of sight from the humans, we started running - vampire speed. I must admit that I missed running with vampires. It was exhilarating! I never run at full speed with Jacob because he wouldn't be able to catch up. Wes was fast. He may even be faster than Dad. I threw a couple of pinecones at him to slow him down but he dodged them easily. To get back at me, he pushed tree branches in my way and that made me laugh. We were both laughing and running at full speed. I couldn't remember the last time I laughed so hard.

We raced all the way to Seattle before we stopped. I was glad that we were far enough away from the werewolf territory. I wouldn't have to worry about Jacob showing up uninvited.

"You finally got to Seattle." I said to Wes.

"Well, I never thought I would come with a date." He replied.

"It's not a date, we are just hanging out." I said.

"So what do you say we do while we hang out here in Seattle, Nessie?" He asked teasingly.

"What were you planning to do here?" I asked.

"hmm…I am not sure if you can tolerate that." He replied hesitantly. I gasped.

"You were going to hunt?" I looked at him accusingly.

"There is… a certain human here that…needs to be stopped. I am looking for him." He explained with some difficulty. It seemed like he was editing something out.

I stared at him in disbelief. He looked like he was deep in thought.

"We don't have to do that if the idea offends you." He suggested. That sounded just like what my parents would say to me. It made me feel weak and I didn't like it.

"No, I want to see what you do."

Wes tracked the man down a quietly alley.

"What the…!" The man exclaimed when he saw Wes jump down gracefully from the fire escape staircases.

"Leny, Leny…" Wes shook his head slowly. "You have to stop killing people." He said in his velvety voice.

"Who are you? What do you want?" The man said in a panic. His voice broke on the last word.

"You are not listening to me, Leny. I said you have to stop killing people." Wes took a step closer.

The man took out a gun from his jacket. He fidgets with it while Wes took another step closer. The man shot the gun twice. Wes chuckled and shook his head. Beads of sweat were forming on the man's face.

"What are you? Get away from me!" He screamed.

In a flash, Wes was suddenly behind the man. He whispered something in his ears. I heard a loud crunch and then Wes's face was half buried into his neck. The man's body slouched in his arms and soon it went completely limp. The sight should have frighten me but it didn't. I felt my throat ache and my mouth watering. I had to bite down my lower lip. Wes let the body drop to the ground. Only his lips were smeared with traces of blood. His clothes were not even ruffled. I couldn't remember how I moved so close to Wes and the body. The smell of blood was so strong; it was pulling me like a magnet. I stared at the blood on his lips. It was only a few inches away from my face.

Wes smiled and said: "Want a taste?"

Before I could answer, he put his lips on mine. His lips were cool and smooth. The taste of human blood on his lips was unbearable. I clutched him closely to my face, my fingers knotted in his hair. I crushed my lips on his, parting my mouth to get the last drop of blood lingering on his lips. My heart was pounding and my breathing was loud and uneven. I have kissed Jacob before but it was nothing like this.

"Renesmee..," Wes muttered as he pull my face away from his. "You are…I can…smell your blood…" He explained.

"Oh!" I pulled back quickly. I know from experience with my family that being too close in proximity with vampires can sometimes make them feel uncomfortable.

"I don't want to hurt you, Renesmee, it gets hard to control myself when you are so…close."

"I am sorry…" I was feeling mighty embarrassed at this point. I couldn't even look at him.

"I should be going." I said as I looked at my watch. "Oh Crap! I have to be going now!"

Grandpa will be so worried if I wasn't at home and I wasn't with Jacob. Wes threw the body into the dumpster and lighted a match.

"Let's go." He said casually.

"You don't have take me back home. Aren't you going to stay in Seattle?" I asked curiously.

"What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't escort you back home?" He asked as he playfully took my hand in his. "Shall we?"

"You know I do have a boyfriend." I said.

"Well, that certainly didn't affect us earlier." He said teasingly. I flushed at the thought of our kiss.

"I am sorry, that was rude. What I meant to say was that he is a boyfriend, which means you are not engaged. Your options are still open. He should expect some healthy competition no less."

I shook my head slowly and smiled "You are bad!"

He chuckled once and replied "You like bad."


	5. Home

Chapter 5

The moment I saw my dad's silver Volvo on the driveway, I knew this was going to be bad.

"Wes, I think you should go"

"Why? Is it your werewolf boyfriend?" Wes asked teasingly.

"No, my parents are here." I explained. "Please just go, my parents are going to flip out if they see you with me." I pleaded.

"Alright, goodnight, my love." Wes kissed me lightly on the back on my hand and disappeared. Just then, something flashed by me.

"Dad!" I screamed out. He must be chasing after Wes! "I am hurt" I lied. Instantly, my dad was standing beside me.

"Where? What happened?" He said as he examined me gently. Mom appeared beside Dad.

"She is fine. She just didn't want you to chase after him" Mom looked at me disapprovingly.

"It's true, I lied. Wes is not dangerous. You don't need to go after him" I looked at dad and then at mom.

"Nessie…you are not old enough…" Dad stopped mid-sentence to stare at my eyes. "Did you…did you drink human blood?" He asked angrily.

I quickly looked down to the ground. My eyes must have turned red from drinking human blood. I was scared but I didn't want to submit to their restrictions anymore.

"I didn't kill anyone. I just…I just…wanted a taste." I stammered.

Dad looked enraged. It was probably because he was hearing my thought on how I got a taste of human blood.

It was mom who replied: "That vampire is dangerous and a bad influence…"

Dad interrupted with an angry tone: "You are never seeing him again. Do you hear me?"

"I am not a little girl anymore! You can't tell me who to be friends with!" I argued.

"Oh yes, I can. I can even tell you where you are going now. Back home with us." With that he took my arm and started to drag me in the direction of his car.

"No! I am staying here." I couldn't believe how daring I have become. I have never disobeyed him like that before.

"You can't stay here, it's not safe. Think about grandpa."

Mom was right. I was being irresponsible. Wes may be able to control his craving around me, since I am a half vampire, but he might not do so well around grandpa. Tears started rolling down my cheeks. I felt exhausted and defeated. Mom put her arm around me and walked me to their car. We were heading back to my childhood home, a little stone cottage in the middle of the forest.


	6. Escape

Chapter 6

"I want to go to school!" I pleaded with my parents.

"Hmm…Not a good idea." Dad must have read my thought about meeting Wes by my locker.

Staying here with my parents was driving me insane. Not only was my every move being monitored, my every thought was scrutinized! This has been the longest week of my life. I had to get out.

Dad put his hands on my shoulders and said: "Look, I know it may seem unfair to you that we are keeping you here. I want you to understand that we are doing this because we want you to be safe."

I knew it was hard for my parents to let go of me. They still considered me a child since my true age was only 7. However, my human age and my intelligence were closer to a 17 year old. That didn't seem to matter to them. I was about to argue when he put his finger on my lips.

"Now I am going to leave for a few hours. Jacob will be over here soon." He said and then he turned to leave.

Great. I knew he was only leaving so that I can have some privacy to think, but why did he have to call in a babysitter? Seriously, this was irritating me to death. Of all the people that I wanted to see right now, Jacob was not one of them. I didn't know what to say to him about what happened. Thank goodness my mom and dad didn't tell anyone about my little experiment with drinking human blood. Jacob only thought that I ditched school for a day to hang out with Wes. He wanted to talk to me about that but I cowardly refused. I have never lied to Jacob before. If I saw him now, he would know that I was hiding something from him. I would rather die than to feel his judging eyes on me once he learns the truth.

"Nessie?" Rosalie walked into the living room.

"Oh! I am soooo glad you are here!" I cried as I ran into her open arms. "Please get me out of here. I can't talk to Jacob right now. I can't!"

"Let me see what I can do." Rosalie went to talk to my mom. She returned swiftly and announced: "We are going shopping!" A big smile was spreading across her face. I gave her a big hug.

Rosalie was ecstatic. We haven't gone shopping together for a while. Too bad Alice had to hunt. She would have loved to come. Perhaps she was giving Rosalie and I some bonding time. Rosalie was my favourite aunt. She loved spoiling me. Ever since I went to live with grandpa, we haven't had a chance to hang out together, just the two of us.

"Mom and Dad are soooo controlling!" I vented to Rosalie. "I can't stand it anymore!"

Rosalie smiled at me. " Poor Nessie. They are just worried about you."

I rolled my eyes and said "I can take care of myself now."

We went into another clothing store. Rosalie picked up a pair of black leather pants. She kept her eyes on the pants and asked:

"So, who was that vampire you met? What's his name?"

I pondered about telling her the truth. My parents must have told her to get it out of me.

"His name is Wes. I met him in the forest one day." Then I added quickly "He really isn't dangerous. He is completely under control."

"Ness," Rosalie looked at me. "He is not like us. He kills people. He can kill you."

"He won't. I know he won't" I replied.

Rosalie went into the dressing room with a couple of different tops and a pair of leather pants. I continued browsing through the clothes on the rack close to the shop's front window. Suddenly, I heard a car honking outside. I looked up and saw a silver Porsche Boxster parked on the curb. The convertible top was down and the driver was looking at me through his sunglasses with a wicked smile. I shook my head in disbelief. How did he find me here? He was signalling with his index finger for me to come outside. I walked up to the car and said:

"Nice ride. Did you steal it?" I teased.

"I borrowed it." He replied innocently. "I am here to help you break out of prison. You don't have very much time."

I bit my lip and wondered if Rosalie would kill me when she realized I have left her behind. The thought of going back home to my parents was revolting. Maybe I will just go for a ride. Wes could drop me back home later.

"Come on, hop in!" Wes was getting impatient.

I got in the passenger seat and looked inside the clothing store. Rosalie was just coming out of the dressing room with a pile of clothes in her hands. Her jaws dropped at the sight of me in a car outside the store. I mouthed the words "I am sorry" as the car sped off with a screeching sound.

The thrill of escaping my parents' prison felt great. I didn't care where we were going. I just wanted the freedom. I looked at Wes, he was wearing a white shirt underneath a light grey jacket and a pair of dark grey slacks. He was always so well dressed. With the sunglasses on his face, he looked like a model from GQ.

"Are you going to a party?" I asked.

He chuckled but he didn't answer. I wonder if he was just driving by and saw me inside the store. It didn't seem like it was a coincidence.

"How did you know that I was here?" I asked curiously. He hesitated before he replied.

"I think if I tell you, it might scare you." He said, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I really doubt it. Try me." I said confidently.

"okay…I followed you here." He said slowly and quietly.

He looked over at me to make sure I wasn't in shock. I was surprised.

"You followed me?" I asked. He nodded.

"I waited for you to go to school but you never came out of the stone cottage." He explained. "Then this morning I heard you talking about going on a shopping trip." He looked at me again. "I couldn't resist the opportunity to see you again." He smiled shyly.

I didn't know what to say. I was flattered. The silence was making me a little uncomfortable.

"Tell me about yourself." I said.

"What do you want to know?" He asked.

"How old are you? How did you get changed?" I asked quickly.

He took a deep breath before he began.

"Twenty years ago, I was living in Vancouver. I was eighteen and I was hanging with the wrong crowd." He paused. It looked like he was trying to edit something out.

"The gang got us all hooked onto heroin, so that we have to do what they tell us to do. Oddly enough, I was able to resist the craving longer than the others. I got away from them. The others had no chance…" He paused again before he continued:

"I lasted for a week before I was in withdrawal. I resisted going back to the gang but I had nowhere to go. So I hid in the street alleys, waiting to die. That's when I saw him." He chuckled mockingly at himself and then continued:

"I thought he was the devil coming to take me to hell. He offered me a chance to survive and I took it." He let out a sigh.

"I stayed with him afterwards. Hunting innocent humans and stealing from them. It wasn't long before I grew sick of myself for killing innocent people. I had to leave and go off on my own…that's when I started hunting the bad guys." He grew silent.

I suddenly felt sad for him. For all the suffering he had been through. It wasn't fair that I had it so easy. All the vampires I know had to endure so much pain and suffering.

The sight of a massive metal gate interrupted my thoughts. Wes stopped the car in front of the gate and took out a remote device. It took me half a second to realize that we have arrived at his house. The metal gate slid open to reveal a 2-storey stucco mansion. There were black wrought iron decors in front of all the windows. The front doors have matching black wrought iron décor inside the frosted glass panel. I always thought Carlisle had a beautiful house but this house was even more beautiful.

"This is your house?" I asked excitedly.

"It used to belong to a drug lord from New York City." He didn't have to explain any further for me to know what happened to him.

The house looked even bigger inside. The foyer was decorated with marble flooring and wainscoting on the walls. There was a big round table with an enormous vase on top. I wasn't sure what kind of flowers they were inside the vase but they look beautifully arranged. The foyer opens up to a spiral staircase with black wrought iron railings. I took off my jacket and folded it on my arm. Wes turned to face me and said:

"I want to show you something."

He led me all the way to the back of the house and through a set of French doors. Outside there was a stone balcony overlooking a fountain and a meticulously manicured garden. The sun was just beginning to set.

"This is my favourite part of the house." Wes said enthusiastically.

"It's beautiful." I admitted.

"Now it's your turn to tell me your story." He turned to face me, leaning his back and his elbows on the stone railings. With the sun setting right behind him, he was glowing and breathtakingly beautiful.

"It's not that interesting." I muttered. I can feel my pulse quickened. My cheeks were starting to feel warm. "I am sure you have met plenty of vampire ladies that are much more interesting than me."

Wes shook his head and said: "you know, most of the vampires I met are centuries old. It's hard to relate to them when I haven't been around for as long as they have."

I can totally understand what he was talking about. Take my vampire family for instance, they are so stuck in their own way of thinking that any new idea seemed offensive to them. I guess I am calling them old fashioned.

Wes took my hand in his and said: "With you, it's different. It's…effortless. I feel like we belong together."

He was right. How much have I tried to deny my vampire half just so I feel belong with Jacob and his pack? I can never be a normal girlfriend and I was so sick of trying to change myself. Wes looked at our entwined hands and asked:

"So you and your family only drink animal blood?"

"Yes," I replied. "we call ourselves the 'vegetarians'. We hunt mountain lions and grizzly bears." I smiled at the thought of my uncle Emmett fighting with a grizzly bear.

"Animals. What's the fun in that?" Wes asked rhetorically, "Humans, on the other hand, are much more fun to hunt."

"What do you mean?" I asked. I have always assumed that hunting humans would be similar to hunting animals.

"You can never make an animal come willingly to you, but I bet you can make any human male willingly offer up their life for you." Wes explained.

"Ha! Yeah right," I said sarcastically. "That's not how the boys at school react to me. Most of them avoid me." I laughed.

"That's because instinctively, they know you are dangerous." Wes replied, "If you only know the power you have." Wes leaned in closer and whisper: "No one will be able to resist you."

His face was only inches away from mine. The sun had set and sky grew dark. His burgundy eyes should frighten me but instead, they were drawing me closer to him. He whispered my name in my ear. I became frozen like a statue. My heart was pounding non-stop. He kissed me gently on my lips and I collapsed into his embrace. Our kiss grew more passionate. I was gasping for breath as his lips moved down my neck to onto my collarbone. I could feel his hand, cool and smooth, on the back of my neck. His other hand was moving down my back. I shivered involuntarily. And then he stopped abruptly. I looked at him and saw a painful expression on his face.

"It's…more difficult than I imagine to suppress the urge to bite." He explained.

"I know you won't hurt me." I said in an attempt to dissuade him from stopping. "Besides, my family thinks that my skin is impenetrable to vampire teeth."

This was just a theory. No one was allowed to test it on me.

"I can't risk that. I won't be able to live with myself if I end up killing you." He said in a serious tone. "I should probably take you home"

Oh no! I have totally forgotten about the time. My family must be freaking out by now. I was only planning to be gone for an hour or two. How long have I been here? I didn't want to think about it. We quickly got back into the car and sped off. Behind us, the stucco mansion disappeared in the darkness.


	7. The attack

Chapter 7 Attack

In another 15 minutes, I will be back at the stone cottage. I wondered if I would be able to sneak out again soon. The probability was not good. This was likely going to be the last time I will ever see Wes. A wave of sadness came over me. As I pondered over this, the car hit something hard. There was a loud crash and then we were spiralling out of control. The car came to a stop on the opposite side of the road, facing the wrong direction.

"Wolves!" Wes exclaimed.

There was another loud crash. The convertible roof caved in, we both ducked our heads. If it weren't for the roll cage, we would have been crushed. Wes stepped on the gas pedal. The car roared and spun to face the right direction.

"Ness, you should get out. It's me they want." Wes said quickly.

"No! I am not leaving you." I said stubbornly.

As long as I am in the car with Wes, Jacob won't let the wolves do too much damage. I have to get Wes safely out of here.

"We are going back, let's go!" I ordered.

Wes sped off in the direction of the way we came. I turned my head to look through the rear window. I saw Jacob standing in the middle of the road in his human form. Dad has just arrived on the scene. They both looked furious. My cell phone started ringing. I decided not to answer it. Better let them cool off first, I thought.

We drove for a long time in silence. Wes turned into a side road and stopped the car.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I am abandoning the car here. If I go into the river, they won't be able to track me." Wes said in a low voice. "Ness, go back to your family."

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I knew exactly what would happen if I go back now. I blinked my tears away.

"I don't want to go back, Wes. I want to go with you." All my fear of rejection went out the window. I was desperate to run away from having to confront Jacob and my family.

Wes thought for a second and then he said: "Alright. Come with me."

We traveled along the river. Wes did all the swimming; I wrapped my arms around his neck and held my breath whenever we went down into the water. The river led us to the backside of his stucco mansion. I shivered when I got out. It was cooler than I expected. Wes carried me in his arms and ran us inside the house. I felt instantly better once we were inside.

"Here, you can wear some of my clothes." He led me to his walk-in closet.

"Thanks."

I took out a shirt and a hoodie. The shirt was so big on me that it looked more like a dress. I put the oversized hoodie on top to keep myself warm. Wes chuckled when I came out of the closet.

"Hey, I have a limited choice of wardrobe here!" I pouted my lips.

"No, you look cute. I like it." He said with a laugh. I threw a towel at him.

"So is there a bed in this house or do I have to sleep on the sofa tonight?"

There was no bed in his room. Only a black leather chaise, a shaggy rug and a large glass coffee table.

"You have to sleep?" He asked. I nodded. It must have never even crossed his mind. He shrugged his shoulders and said: "Okay. Take your pick. You can sleep in any bedroom you like."

I went to check out the other bedrooms. I chose the room with the light yellow walls and a massive four-post bed. The bed was very comfortable. I suddenly felt exhausted. I turned off the light on the bedside table and quickly fell into deep sleep.


	8. Prey

Chapter 8 Prey

When I woke up the next morning, I found Wes watching the News in the living room. The flat screen TV was hung on top of a stone faced fireplace. The volume was low but I can hear every word clearly.

"…the suspect is a white male, about 6'5'' in height, medium built. He has dark brown hair and brown eyes. The people around here tell us that he may be a pimp. The homicide might have happened due to a dispute over money. The police still need further evidence to determine what has exactly happened here last night…"

"Good morning, Ness." Wes turned around and smiled at me. "Want some breakfast?" He teased. I rolled my eyes at him. "Well, you could go chase down some mountain lions if you like. I prefer my prey to come to me." He said smugly. I raised one eyebrow at him.

"What? You have some kind of a human magnet? Tell me, how exactly are you going to do that?" I asked.

There was a mischievous look on his face. " Let's go get you some clothes and I shall demonstrate." He said enthusiastically.

I put on the jeans and sweater I had on yesterday. They felt warm from the dryer. I put on one of Wes's baseball cap. Wes pulled up the hood of his jacket and put on a pair of sunglasses. He grabbed a pair of car keys lying in a dish on the hall table and led me to the garage.

Inside the garage, there was an empty space where the Porsche Boxster once parked and there were 2 other cars. Wes pressed a button on his remote and the headlights of the black Mercedes flashed. We got into the car and sped out of the driveway.

Wes parked by the curb in front of a high-end clothing store. I recognize the name as one of the stores that Alice loved to shop at. I haven't shopped at stores like this one for a while because I wanted clothes that would make me fit in better with the other high school kids.

As we entered the store, Wes pulled down his hood and took off his sunglasses. His eyes were very dark today, almost black. They looked captivating against his pale skin. A sales girl came to greet us instantly. She was tall, blond and attractive looking. She smiled at Wes and asked if he needed help.

"Yes," Wes said in his velvety voice. He looked at her name tag and continued: "Jane, you see my sister here is visiting me from out of town and we will be attending a wedding tonight. It would be great if you could help pick out some clothes for her"

Wes put on his irresistible smile. Jane looked dazzled by his words.

"Certainly. I..I will do my best." She stammered and turned around quickly to hide her flustered face.

She came back with a pile of clothes for me to try on. While I was in the dressing room, I could hear Wes's mesmerizing voice:

"Jane, I would like it if you could join me for lunch." I rolled my eyes at the double entendre. There was no reply and Wes continued: "You see, my sister already have other engagement this afternoon. I will be all by myself for a little while."

There was a pause and then Jane spoke "I..I'm not sure if my…my boss would…"

Wes interrupted with a soft but compelling voice "Tell her you have a family emergency. Meet me at the rooftop at noon."

"Okay." Jane replied.

Wow, I thought, that was easy for him. So easy that it made me feel a little jealous. I walked out of the dressing room wearing the red cocktail dress that I was trying on. Wes took one look at me and said:

"Perfect. We will take it."

On the roof, Wes made me hide as he waited for his prey to arrive. He wanted to demonstrate to me how we could make humans offer up their blood to us.

Jane arrived exactly at noon. It was getting really cloudy. Wes didn't even bother to pull his hood up. He was leaning against the low wall, looking at Jane as she walked towards him. He looked excruciatingly handsome.

"So where are we having lunch?" Jane asked.

"Here." Wes replied.

He reached his arm around her waist. She suddenly went limp. It was like she was hypnotized. I couldn't believe my eyes. Wes drew Jane closer to his face and whispered: "May I?"

Jane stared at him with no discernible expression. I put my hand across my mouth to suppress a scream. I didn't want him to kill her just to prove a point to me. Just when I wanted to jump out to rescue the girl, Wes kissed her neck and set her back on her feet. Jane blinked a couple of times. She looked confused but happy.

"Jane, thank you for coming but I have something that I must attend to. I must go now." Wes told her as he walked away quickly. When we got back into the Mercedes, Wes said to me: "Now it's your turn."

Wes showed me the 'prey' he had picked out for me. I recognized him as the suspect on the news this morning.

"You want me to try HIM?" I asked. Wes nodded.

"Whenever you are ready."

I took a deep breath and got out of the car. I have no idea how I was going to do this. I have never tried to ask any human male to go anywhere with me before. The man was talking to a scantily dressed woman. He seemed angry. Suddenly, he slapped her violently across the face. The woman cried and walked off. The man was alone now. I walked towards him. He instantly looked up at me. A smile slowly spread across his face and he whistled.

"Honey, you are coming for me?" He asked.

I thought about how Wes handled himself with Jane and I flashed a smile at him.

"I am having a little…car trouble. Do you mind giving me a hand?" I asked.

"Anything you need, baby." He reached out to touch my face. I turned around quickly.

"Good. Follow me"

I led him to the car and opened up the back passenger door. Wes was not inside the car. I wondered he went? I signalled for the man to go inside and he jumped right in. I got in beside him and closed the door. He looked confused but excited.

"This must be my lucky day." He said as he lean in towards me.

I put my hand on his throat and he suddenly stopped. His instinct was kicking in. He was sensing that something was wrong.

"What..What is it that you want?" He asked.

I could feel his pulse quickened. The aroma of his blood was intensified inside the car. My mouth was salivating and my throat was aching.

"I want you to come closer." I whispered.

His neck was only an inch away from my lips. Every part of my vampire half was screaming at me to bite. I hesitated. Wes suddenly appeared behind the man and said: "Allow me."

Before I could respond, he sunk his teeth into the man's neck. The smell of fresh human blood was unbearable. I sunk my teeth in and sucked ravenously. I felt so powerful, so satisfied. When the blood ran dry beneath my lips. I looked up and saw that Wes was staring at me. He pushed the dead body out of the way and crushed his lips on mine. His arms pulled me tightly against his body. My fingers knotted in his hair. I was pulling his face closer to mine. I parted my mouth and let my tongue touch his lips. His response was powerful. I had no idea how long we have been kissing when Wes whispered in my ear:

"I really don't want to stop, but we do have a dead body to dispose of."

I straightened up abruptly. The reality of what just happened began to sink in.

I killed someone. I sucked his blood.

I started hyperventilating. "Ness, Ness, look at me!" Wes said, looking worried.

He held my face in his hands. "Remember who he was. He deserved to die." I nodded quickly.


	9. The bite

Chapter 9

I was acutely aware of the dead body in the back seat of the car. The body of the man I killed. I wrapped my arms tightly around my rib cage. I have gone too far. I have crossed the line. I could hear my parents' voices in my head, telling me how disappointed they are. Images of their disapproving faces flooded my mind. And Jacob. I wonder if Jacob could ever forgive me for what I have done? I have become the essence of what he and his tribe strives to destroy. Even if he could forgive me, the pack would never accept me again. I have betrayed their trust. I have lost the privilege. I could just imagine how Sam would react. Our relationship was hard enough to begin with and I have just made it impossible. Jacob would have to leave his tribe to be with me. IF he still wanted to be with me. I couldn't do that to him. He belonged with his pack, his tribe. He deserved someone better than me. Someone who could be like Emily was to Sam. Someone who would make _her_ world revolves around him and not the other around.

I was lost in my own thought when Wes pulled into a parking lot. He parked the car beside a silver Landrover.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"We are switching cars." Wes replied

He got out of the car and into the Landrover so quickly that I couldn't even tell how he got in. He jump-started the car and signalled for me to go over. With shaking hands, I opened the car door and walked over to the Landrover. Wes was probably going to torch the Mercedes. I couldn't look. I got into the car and waited for him to get back. I could smell the smoke when Wes got into the driver seat. We drove off as the flame and black smoke filled the inside of the Mercedes.

"Are you okay?"

I couldn't reply. I looked at him with tears filled eyes.

"Oh Ness," He sighed. He put his hand in mine. "Your parents really messed you up." I didn't reply and he continued: "Look, I realize you have human friends and family." He paused for a second "Not all humans are our prey. There are different categories."

"Huh?" I was only half-listening to him.

"Humans, they treat animals the same way. Some animals are treated as friends, like dogs and cats, and some are treated as their prey. You never see them crying over their steak."

I raised my eyebrow at him. I didn't bother making a reply.

"Does that make you feel better?" He asked.

"Not really." I replied.

"I am terrible at this. I am just going to stick to what I am good at." He looked at me with a smile. "Charming you."

I couldn't help but smile. A weak smile.

"That's more like it."

When we got back to the stucco mansion, it was already twilight. Wes took off his jacket and pulled me into his arms.

"Now where were we before we got so terribly side-tracked?" He asked.

I put on a weak smile again. I was still mourning over the loss of my innocence. I couldn't see how I could go back to the way I was. I have tasted the forbidden fruit. I would never be able to forget the high of killing my human prey. I covet more of it. Tears started rolling down my cheeks. I looked away.

"Do you want to go back to your family?" He asked as he wiped the tears away with his fingers. They felt cold on my face.

"I don't think I can anymore." I sniffled. More tears came rolling down my cheeks. I had always wanted freedom and independence from my family, but now I felt lonely and disgraceful. I had no home.

"Then stay with me, forever."

He kissed me gently on the lips. I looked into his red eyes and it made me forget how to breathe. He kissed me again, this time with more force. I kissed him back urgently. Part of my brain was screaming at me. I didn't care. I needed his acceptance. How could something so wrong feel so good? I didn't want to think about anything else. I just wanted him to pull me closer into his arms.

My fingers found the buttons on his shirt and both of our hands began frantically unbuttoning them. The fabric was no match for our strength. His shirt was in pieces when it hit the floor. I laid my hand on his marble chest and then traced my fingers down to his stomach muscles. Wes lifted up my hand to his face. He looked at me and slowly moved his face towards the inside of my wrist. My heart was pounding. My breathing was fast and uneven. His lips, cold as ice, traced the vein from my wrist to my elbow. I shivered.

His lips found mine again. Our kissing became rough and that suited me just fine. I could never kiss Jacob like this for fear that I would break his jaw. I felt no restrain with Wes. His fingers found the zipper of my dress and pulled it down with one zip. I heard the seams of our clothes snapped as we struggled to get them off…

When I woke up the next morning, Wes was standing by the window, deep in thought. His arms were crossed over his bare chest. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans.

"Wes?" I sat up. He looked at me with worried red eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Ness, I bit you." He said.

"What?"

I felt confused. My hand instantly moved up to my neck. There was a sore spot. I walked up to the mirror to examine it. There was a burgundy bite mark on my neck. It felt a little itchy but I was sure my skin was still intact. Weird. I guess vampire teeth couldn't cut through my skin like they would for human skin. However, the mark it left was a bit unsightly. I tried to remember when that could have happened last night but I couldn't. I was obviously way too consumed by our lovemaking to notice anything else. Wes came up behind me. He wrapped one arm around my waist and he placed his other hand over my neck.

"I am sorry."

"It's okay, you didn't hurt me." I replied.

The mark on my neck seemed to bother him. I found a black scarf in his closet and wrapped it around my neck. Wes wanted to hunt again. I told him that I would stay behind. I wasn't ready to kill again. It was quiet in the house. I thought about calling my family. It has been 2 days since I ran away. I didn't want to go back but I should at least let them know that I was safe.

I picked up my bag to fish for my cell phone. Suddenly, I felt a cool hand on my shoulder and a wet cloth covering my face. The cloth had a medicinal odour. I struggled to get free but I couldn't. Slowly my eyelids began to droop and my body relaxed. I drifted into sleep.

I woke up with a start. I looked around and realized that I was in my room at the stone cottage. Esme was sitting by the foot of my bed. She looked worried.

"Nessie? How are you feeling?" She asked. Her voice was full of concern. I shook my head in confusion.

"What happened?" I asked.

Esme sighed. "We have been searching all over the place for you, Nessie. Jacob was devastated. He couldn't believe that you would leave on your own will."

I flinched at the thought of that. I couldn't fathom the pain I would cost him if he found out the truth.

"Edward and Bella tracked down your location. They wanted to bring you home but they were not sure if they could convince you…You see, we were all so concerned about your safety…"

"So they drugged me?" I interrupted her. I can't believe they would resort to this! I was not a child anymore. They didn't own me.

"Nessie, they did it for your own good. The vampire you were with, he was obviously dangerous." Esme motioned her hand to my neck.

My hand instantly reached up to my neck. What happened to the scarf? Oh no! It must have fell off after I became unconscious. They must have seen the bite mark.

"Where are they right now?" I asked. I suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"After they saw the bite mark, they became furious. Bella ran you home but Edward and Jacob decided to stay."

"Jake was there too?" I cried. I couldn't imagine how he would react after seeing this bite mark on me. "Wait…you said they stayed?" I asked.

"Bella came home to drop you off with me. She ran back right away to help Edward and Jacob…Don't worry, Nessie. I am sure the three of them can take him down. You are safe now."

"What?" I cried. My heart was pounding furiously. "No…I have to go"

I got up from the bed and ran out of the stone cottage. I had to stop them. Esme followed closely behind me.

"Nessie! Stop!" Esme cried.

I was already in the forest when I ran into my mom, my dad and Jacob. I looked at their faces and I knew that I was too late. All three of them were saying things to me but I couldn't understand what they were saying. I couldn't speak. They tried to put their arms around me and I pushed their arms away.

They killed Wes. I would never see him again.


	10. The break up

Chapter 10

I felt exhausted and defeated. I fell onto my knees. My fingers dug into the soil on the ground. I didn't know if what I had with Wes was love, but he was my freedom. He was my one friend, who knew who I was, that wasn't brainwashed by my family. I couldn't believe that they killed him. I felt sickened by their double standard. They wouldn't tolerate killing of humans yet they could kill any vampire they want?

The others arrived. They stood before me like a panel of jury waiting for my trial. Now I would taken back to be corrected, re-trained. My dad heard my thought and shot a glance at Carlisle. Carlisle signalled for the others to leave with him. Rosalie lingered.

"Rose" Carlisle called out. Rosalie backed away slowly.

Only my mom, my dad and Jacob remained. My mom kneeled down beside me. She tugged a strand of my hair behind my ear. My mom and I used to be very close. There was nothing I would ever hide from her. It only got weird after I found out that Jacob was in love with her before I was born. No one wanted to tell me about that. It slipped out of Uncle Emmett's mouth one time when he was talking about an incident in the past involving a dangerous vampire named Victoria. Uncle Emmett didn't want to elaborate on the matter any further, so I asked Jacob straight up. He admitted to it and he told me everything that happened. He told me how he fought for her, risking his own life. He told me how he hated my dad for stealing her away from him. Although he swore that all his feelings for my mom disappeared after he met me, I couldn't help but wonder if he was ever thinking about her when he was with me. I couldn't talk about this with my mom. I couldn't talk about this with Jacob. I didn't want my dad to hear it in my thought, so that was partly the reason why I decided to move in with grandpa.

"Ness, let's go home." She said gently.

"Not so fast. She needs to own up to what she has done." My dad said angrily.

"Fine." I replied with the same angry tone. "I killed a murderer. I sucked his blood." I could hear Jacob took in a deep breath. "And that is much worse than you killing Wes" I added sarcastically.

"Don't be a fool! He was using you…"

"Enough!" Jacob interrupted my dad. "It was me. I killed him." It was Jacob?

Jacob and my dad looked at each other and then my dad nodded once.

"Come Bella, let's give them some privacy." My dad took my mom's hand and they disappeared into the forest.

Jacob had his back to me. His head hung low.

"Jake…"

"You don't have to tell me anything." He paused. "I promise I will never ask you about it." Jacob turned around to face me. "All I want is for you to come back to me."

Jacob loved me that much. He was willing to overlook the one thing that he despised the most – vampire taking a human life. This has been the way of our relationship from the start. Jacob forgave me for one thing after another.

I could run to him right now and go on pretending that I was the right girl for him. I would always be on the verge of making the next mistake and he would always be ready to forgive me for it. We would continue to live in denial over the fact that I was half-vampire and that I ache for human blood. I would promise him that I would never slip up and kill another human. It would be an impossible promise for me to keep. At some point, I would be hurting him again.

There was also the ugly fact that I have cheated on him. He may never ask me about it but he would not escape the painful suspicion that I would cheat again, for as long as we are together. The damage was done. I have delivered a fatal assault. Jacob would stubbornly hang on, just like how he hung onto my mom even when she was with my dad.

Tears starting flowing down my cheeks. I knew what I had to do.

"I can't. It's too late"

"Ness…" Jacob's eyes were filled with tears. I put my hand on his face one last time and projected for him all of my happy memories of us together. My tears were streaming down on my face uncontrollably. Jacob closed his eyes.

"Goodbye, Jacob Black." I whispered through my tears.

I took one last look at Jacob's face and I ran off into the forest without looking back.


	11. Departure

Chapter 11

I left Jacob standing in the forest and ran away as fast as I could. The wind was whipping against my face. I almost wished that I could feel the pain. The tears on my cheeks flew off with the wind but new tears came down to take their place. The last image I had of Jacob was all I could see. I reached the stone cottage and I didn't stop running. I went inside and ran straight into my room without stopping to talk to my parents.

I took my travel bag out and started filling it with my belongings. My tears had dried. I focused my mind on packing my bag. Suddenly, a white hand appeared on top of mine. I stopped packing.

"You don't have to go." My dad said in a low voice.

"Yes." I replied and I turned to look at him. "I do."

When I ran away with Wes, I thought that I needed him to leave this place. But I didn't need him. I didn't need anyone. Not anymore.

"It's dangerous out there." He kept his hand on top of mine.

"Then teach me how to fight." I said in a serious tone.

My dad shook his head. "No."

"I will teach you." My mom appeared at the doorway of my room. My head snapped up at the sound of her voice. My dad and I were both stunned by her response. My mom had always discouraged the use violence for any situation. It was a shock to both of us that she would want to teach me how to fight.

"Bella!" My dad was obviously appalled.

"You can't shelter her forever, Edward."

"This is just another phase, Bella." My dad said with frustration in his voice. "Six months ago, she wanted to play human and we let her live with Charlie. Now she wants to play vampire and you are just going to let her walk out the door on us? Come on, if she wants to play alien next, are you going to let her live in outer space?"

I hated it when my parents talk about me like I was not here. My mom didn't speak. She raised her eyebrows at my dad and his lips tightened. Oh great, she must have de-shielded her mind and they were now having a silent conversation about me. I hated this even more.

"Just say it out loud!" I said in exasperation.

"I was just reminding your dad that _he_ had an episode of staying away from his family a long time ago." My mom replied.

"That's different." My dad said, shaking his head.

"Is it?" My mom challenged him.

He didn't reply to her. Instead, he looked at me and said: " Ness, you are not going to find what you are looking for out there. Trust me."

"If Carlisle had said that to you at the time, would you have stayed?" I asked. He didn't need to reply. The answer was in his expression. I knew I had won my argument.

They left me alone to finish packing. The key to my grandpa's house fell out and I caught it before it hit the floor. The key was attached to a wooden letter 'J', which Jacob had carved for me. It was intricately carved with patterns of leaves and a side profile of a wolf wrapping around the letter. I clasped it tightly in my right hand. Jacob gave it to me so that I wouldn't lose the key again. I took the key off the wooden key chain and left the key on my bedside table. I shoved the key chain in the back pocket of my jeans.

When I came out of my room, I saw that everyone was here. They were loosely gathered in the living room. Jasper came up to me.

"I heard someone wanted to learn how to fight. I am here to offer my service." He smiled.

Emmett walked over next.

"If you meet a big, bad vampire, tell him you know someone bigger." Emmett laughed at his own joke. Rosalie shoved him aside.

"I am still a little mad at you." She said. I nodded my head. "If you really do meet a big, bad vampire, just call Emmett." She shoved my cell phone into my hand. Everyone chuckled. I gave Rosalie a hug.

I heard my travel bag being unzipped. I turned my head to look. Alice was standing beside my opened bag with a stack of cards in her hand. Credit cards.

"Wardrobe allowance." She explained as-a-matter-of-factly. "Every girl needs one." She put the credit cards inside my bag and she added a thick wad of thousand dollar bills beside them.

Carlisle came over with Esme.

"Many years ago, I said this to your father and it didn't stop him from leaving. I will say to you now, not because I want to stop you, but because you need to know this." He paused. "What you are looking for is already inside of you. It's not distance that you need to travel, it's time that you need to discover it."

I nodded at Carlisle. I couldn't say that I completely agree with what he said, but I knew it would be a wise thing to do to keep his advice in mind.

Esme held my hands. "I wish you would stay with us. Please remember that our doors are always open for you." I gave Esme a hug.

My mom and dad were standing at the doorway.

"Are we ready to learn how to fight or what?" My mom teased me. I smiled and nodded enthusiastically. Jasper walked over to us.

"Let's go." I said. We raced to the clearing in the forest.


	12. Power

Chapter 12

When we got to the clearing, I was expecting my uncle Jasper to take over with the fight training. To my surprise, it was my mom who stood in the middle with Jasper and my dad flanking her sides.

"The average vampire will be stronger and faster than you." She said in an authoritative voice. "This is why you need to use your power instead your strength when it comes down to a fight."

What power? I wondered to myself. I didn't have any offensive power like some of the other vampires that I have heard about.

"You just never used it offensively." my dad replied to my thought.

"You mean my thought projection?" I asked

"It was never just the thought you were projecting. You were also projecting feelings and emotions directly into the mind of the ones you touch." My mom explained.

I was stunned. I didn't know I could do that.

"Remember when you projected to me how Jacob fell off his motorcycle last summer?" My mom asked. I nodded. I remembered that Jacob was bleeding excessively and I ran back to the cottage to get help. "My mind was defenceless against the onslaught of fear and pain that you projected on me."

I remembered thinking it was kind of strange that my mom was acting just as fearful and distraught as I was in reaction to Jacob's accident. I had even charged that as some secret, residual feelings that she might have had for Jacob. I felt so stupid all of a sudden.

"Think about how you can use your power offensively." My dad interrupted my thought.

"Hmm…you are suggesting that I can project pain and fear directly into my opponent's mind?" I asked. Even if I could do that in theory, I had no idea how I would go about it.

"This is going to take practice. You will need to learn to intensify the projection and to protect yourself from being affected by it." Jasper explained. I just realized that my power would be quite similar to his power in mood control.

"Give it a try" my dad took my hand and placed it on his face.

This was tough. What was I going to project to induce the feeling of pain and fear? I gave it a try anyway.

"Hmm…Not enough." My dad commented. "Try again."

I sighed. Alright, I thought to myself, I would have to dig up some memories that I have suppressed for a really long time. It was the scene of an army in black cloaks approaching us to deliver our death sentence. The fear and anguish that I once felt flooded my mind and projected onto my dad. His face suddenly changed. His breathing quickened. I brought up the image of Aro, staring intently with his piercing eyes. He was reaching out to touch me. My dad suddenly gasped loudly. I lifted my hand from his face and he fell onto his knees. We were both hyperventilating.

"Ness, that's impressive!" Jasper commented. "This will allow you to escape or deliver an assault while your opponent is paralysed."

I was amazed. I couldn't believe that I had offensive power. My mom was beaming.

"You still have to learn how to destroy a paralysed vampire, in case you can't escape in time." My dad finally recovered sufficiently to speak.

I spent the remaining hours of the night learning how to deliver a fatal blow to a vampire. Eventually, my parents and Jasper led me to the side of the road. My aunt Alice showed up in a silver BMW Z4 convertible. She got out of the car and threw the keys at me. I caught it with one hand.

"Our parting gift. Take good car of her!" She exclaimed.

I took one last look at my family. They were standing on the side of the road. I didn't know when I would see them again. But I knew that when I do, I would know exactly who I was and I would have found what I was looking for.

End of Part 1

**(I started writing Part 2, should I continue? Leave me a review. Thanks for reading!) **


	13. Alias

Part 2

Chapter 13 Alias

I drove off in the silver BMW Z4 while my family waved goodbye on the side of the road. The convertible top was down and my long brown hair was flying back with the wind. It would be morning very soon. The sky was already lightening up.

I wasn't sure where I wanted to go. The first place that came to my mind was Wesley's hometown. He had stayed there for a decade as a vampire without any human finding out what he was. He also described the place as frequently cloudy, and had lots of forested area. It sounded perfect to me. The image of his handsome face came into my mind. I pictured his bone pale face, with his perfect nose and captivating eyes. The breathtaking way he always smiled at me. Wes was killed because of me. If he had never met me, he would still be around. Even if what my dad accused of him was true, I was still guilty for his destruction. He was still the one that gave me courage to go off on my own.

I made my first stop at the office of Mr. Jenks. I thought it would be a good idea to update my documents. Crossing the border with this car as a 21-year-old would probably go more smoothly than as a 17-year-old. Not to mention I would have to buy a house once I get settled. Besides, I knew that I have aged recently. I felt it after the night I spent with Wes.

I was lost in thoughts when Mr. Jenks asked me what name to use on the documents.

"What is the name?" He asked.

"Hmm?" I looked at him.

"The name, for the documents" He replied.

I thought he was going to just re-use my name. Perhaps it would raise suspicion if the record attached to my name specified a different age than the documents he was making for me.

I looked around his office, trying to think of a name. On his desk, there was a picture of a woman wearing a necklace. The bright green jade pendant caught my eye.

"Jade." I said. "Jade Wesley."

The night had fallen by the time I arrived in the city. I checked into the hotel and decided to scope out the area for other vampires. Wes had claimed the territory for a decade but there could be others now that he had left. In a city like this one, I was told that the easiest way to find a vampire was at a club. Most of the people there are either drunk or too preoccupied to notice them. They would able to stay conspicuous while they choose their prey. By the end of the night, they would stalk their chosen prey and led them to a quiet place or follow them home.

I changed into a sequin tank top and a black mini-skirt. The weather was a bit cooler now so I put on a pair of black, knee high stiletto boots and a tan, trench coat. I chose the club with the longest line-up outside the door. As I walked pass the line-up, the people turned their heads to stare at me. I looked at them and they quickly averted their gaze. I wondered how I was going to get in without waiting in line. I was just going to scope it out quickly and move onto the next club. I didn't want to spend so much time doing this. The bouncer at the door was a big guy. He reminded me of my uncle Emmett.

"Are you on the list?" He asked. I looked at him and smiled.

"er..go ahead" He motioned for me to enter through the door.

Inside the club, the music was blasting. I recognized the music and I liked it. Maybe I would stay here a little longer. I scanned the room for vampires. It was hard to tell with all the people packed on the dance floor.

"Are you looking for someone? I can help you."

People here are way too friendly for their own good. I looked at him. He was tall and had a slender built. He had a cute looking baby face and his blue eyes were gentle. I smiled at him. Maybe he could help me. He looked like a nice guy.

"I am looking for my brother and his girlfriend."

"What do they look like?" He asked.

"If you see someone with skin as pale as mine, let me know."

"I did see someone like that over on the other side."

This might be it, I thought to myself. I followed him through the crowded dance floor. People were staring at me as I squeezed through. We reached the bar on the other side.

"Is that him?"

I let out a sigh of relief. It was just a pale looking human.

"Looks like him, but no." I replied. "Listen, if you see anyone else that might fit the description, could you give me a call?"

"Sure!" He replied excitedly. He was thrilled to get my cell phone number.

"I am sorry, what was your name?"

"Justin. And yours?"

"Jade."

I spent the next few nights scanning the clubs and found no vampires. I began feeling hopeful that I could make this city my residence. I opened up the mini-fridge to make sure the packages of animal blood were still there. I told the hotel maids that they were for my research. That would be consistent with my new identity as an environmental research student. I closed the refrigerator door and my cell phone rang.

"Hey Jade," He said excitedly, "I think I saw your brother and his girlfriend getting into this club. I couldn't get in though. It's a very exclusive place."

Justin gave me the address and hung up. I needed to go scope it out. I was wearing a ruffled, silk sleeveless top and a pair of skinny black jeans. I didn't bother changing. My hair was slicked back into a long ponytail. I added some accessories, a pair of black stilettos and I went out of my hotel room.

The street was busy. I couldn't park my car any closer than a few blocks away from the club. There were two heavy built men standing on each side of the front entrance. They wore a matching suit, sunglasses and an earpiece. It was going to take more than a smile to get into this place. I took out a thousand-dollar bill and kept it folded in my hand. I walked up to one of the men and reached out to him. He took my hand and I carefully slipped the bill into his hand. He nodded his head and opened the door for me.

The inside of this club was decorated all in white. The music was loud but unfamiliar. I noticed that even the bartender and the waitresses were dressed in white. Suddenly, I detected a vampire scent in the air. I scanned the room quickly and stopped to look in the direction of the scent. A sea of people on the dance floor was blocking my view. Then for a half a second, the people moved in a way that opened up a small gap. I held my breath.

There he was, sitting on a white sofa with a human girl around his arm. He was wearing a black hoodie with the hood over his head. His eyes were kept in the shadow of his hood. The sea of people moved back to obscure my view again. I turned around and walked out of the club as quickly as I could manage in human speed.

My pulse quickened. I was sure that he saw me.


	14. New home

Chapter 14

I wanted to leap into vampire speed as soon as I came out of the club. Then a familiar voice called my name.

"Jade! Did you find him?" Justin was standing outside of the club.

There was no time to explain and I couldn't really explain this to him anyway. I looked into his eyes and ordered him to go.

"Get out of here, Justin. Now."

"Okay." He said with a stunned look on his face.

I didn't bother to check if he had left before I turned the corner and into the side alley. I was just about to run when I sensed his presence. This was going to be bad.

"What's the rush?" He asked in a low, smooth voice.

I took two steps backward. He took two steps forward. My heart started pounding.

"I know what you are." He paused and then whispered: "Half-breed"

I was surprised. Most vampires had no idea that we even exist. I wondered how he figured it out so fast. Before I had a chance to respond, Justin's voice came from behind me.

"Jade?"

The vampire was distracted. I took the opportunity to make my escape. I grabbed Justin by his arm and jumped up to the second floor windowsill. From there, I jumped to the fire escape staircase and then finally jumping onto the roof of the building. I thought I caught a familiar scent but I didn't stop to check. It was too dangerous for Justin. I had to get him out of there. I ran with him over several rooftops until we were close to my car. I flipped him onto my back like a rag doll and jumped down. I set Justin down on his feet and unlocked my car with the remote.

"Get in" I ordered him. He was still frozen on the sidewalk with his mouth hanging open. I walked back over and shoved him, as gently as I could, into the passenger seat. I took in a quick breath to check if the vampire was following us. I couldn't detect his scent. I got in the driver seat quickly.

"Holy sh…sh" Justin said in a raspy voice.

"I am sorry" I interrupted him. "Put on your seat belt."

Justin turned to reach for his seatbelt. I tapped the back of his head and his body drooped forward. He was knocked out. I felt bad doing this but it was really better for him this way. I took out his wallet out to get his driver's licence. I punched in the address in the GPS and drove to his house.

Justin lived in a suburban home with his parents. I shook him gently to wake him up. He was a bit confused. I convinced him that he had too much to drink at the club and I drove him home. He didn't argue. He got out of the car and walked to the front door. As he was entering his house, I saw him rubbing the back of his head a few times. I couldn't suppress a giggle.

I looked at the clock in my car and wondered where I could go tonight. I couldn't go back to the hotel. If the vampire was a tracker, he could be there waiting for me. To be safe, I would have to go back during the day. I drove north for about an hour and reached a secluded neighbourhood. The houses here were all hidden behind mature trees. The large lot size would guarantee some privacy. I parked my car on the side of the road, under a large willow tree. I reclined my seat and pulled my jacket up to my neck. I was just about to close my eyes when I saw a 'For Sale' sign.


	15. Jacob

Chapter 15

It had been just over a month since I left my family. I was settling down in my new home, which was a Tudor style house on a 2-acre lot far away from the city. I figured that the city was dense enough as a territory for the vampire I met at the club. He wouldn't need to be venturing out this way. All I had to do was stay clear of the city.

Justin turned out to be a pretty good friend. He insisted on helping me move in. I did all the heavy lifting before he came and left the smaller items for him to move. It was still too much of a challenge for him but I appreciated his effort nonetheless. That was two weeks ago. I haven't heard from him since then and I wondered if he had been staying away from clubs like I asked him to.

It was raining really hard outside. I was closing the windows when my cell phone rang. I saw the name on the call display and picked up the phone.

"Hey Justin, what's up?"

There was silence on the other end.

"Hello?" I asked warily.

"Hi Jade."

It wasn't Justin's voice. I felt sick to my stomach. My hand clutched the phone tightly against my face. The voice continued to speak.

"I was looking all over for you." He said mockingly. "I couldn't find you but I found your little friend."

I couldn't speak. My heart began to pound.

"He looks like he belongs in a boy band. I wonder if his singing is any better than his screaming?"

"What do you want?" I asked. I finally found my voice.

"I want to have a get together. You left with backstreet boy there so quickly last time. I didn't get a chance to introduce myself."

"Where is Justin?"

"I really don't like talking on cell phones. Meet me at the club. On the rooftop this time."

The line was dead. I had to go and save Justin. I put on my black raincoat and pulled the hood over my head.

The rain had eased up a bit. It was just drizzling by the time I reached the rooftop of the club. I could feel his presence but I couldn't see him in front of me. I turned around and there he was standing with a cell phone in his hand. Justin was not here. I felt better and worse at the same time. I was tricked here for a reason.

"Jade, you and I have something in common." He said this slowly, in a low and smooth voice. I didn't respond and he continued.

"Contrary to the stone-like vampires, we have the ability to adapt and adjust to our environment." He walked closer to me. "And so will our off-spring." I couldn't detect a heartbeat in him. He wasn't a half-breed. I had no idea what he was talking about. I could see his face now. His wavy brown hair was dripping wet. His face had a handsome but malicious look.

"What makes you think that I want to have an off-spring with you?" I asked spitefully.

He suddenly moved forward and put his hand on my throat. I gasped. He whispered in my ear: "You don't have a choice."

I put my hand to his face and drew up my memory of a burning vampire. I projected the feeling of pain with all my might. He dropped me instantly and crouched down with his hands covering his face. I scrambled to get up and started running at full speed. A second later, I felt him following me. I began to panic. I wouldn't be able to outrun him.

Suddenly I caught the familiar scent again. A big brown shadow moved past me and crashed into the vampire behind. Jacob! I turned around instantly and saw that Jacob was in his wolf-form struggling with the vampire. Jacob was snapping his jaws but the vampire dodged away. They rolled across the rooftop and then there was a loud popping sound. Jacob yelped and the vampire got away.

Jacob was hurt. I ran up to help him but he nudged me away with his head. I knew he wanted to phase back to human form. I waited for him to phase.

"Jake, are you hurt bad?" I asked

"He dislocated my shoulder…" His voice was straining.

"Let me get you out of here" I picked him up and ran back to my house.


	16. True love

Chapter 16

"Are you sure you don't want me to call Carlisle?" I asked.

"Stupid bloodsucker…"Jacob muttered to himself.

Jacob was sitting in my kitchen, fidgeting with his dislocated shoulder. I opened the freezer door to get him some ice. It was empty except for the frozen packs of animal blood. I took one pack out and closed the freezer door. Jacob grunted and then I heard a loud click. He must have lodged his shoulder back into its socket. He was now rotating his arm slowly.

"I don't have any ice." I said. I offered the frozen pack of animal blood. "Do you want to use this?"

"Ew! That's gross, Ness!" Jacob laughed a little. I laughed too.

"Thanks, Jake." I said sincerely. "I know it was you last time. You saved me twice already."

"Man, I can't believe he got away. I am going to track that bloodsucker down." He said angrily. "In the meantime, don't go into the city again. _Please_!" He exaggerated the last word.

"Phew! I thought you were going to drag me back home with you!" I said playfully.

Jacob's face suddenly turned serious. We grew silent and it felt awkward. I opened the freezer door and threw the frozen pack of animal blood back in. I guess Jacob was still mad at me. He had every right to be.

"I should go." Jacob got up from his chair and started walking out of the kitchen

I turned around and grabbed his arm. "Wait!"

Jacob flinched painfully. I realized I grabbed the arm to which the shoulder was dislocated a moment ago. I gasped and fled to his side to examine his shoulder closely. I was hoping desperately that I didn't dislocate it again. When I looked up, I saw that Jacob was staring at me. His face was only inches away from mine.

Jacob pulled me into his arms and kissed me urgently. His lips felt soft and hot against mine. I kissed him back with the same urgency and he held me tighter with his arms. Slowly, his lips moved down my neck. I unfastened the top buttons of my blouse and his lips moved down to kiss my exposed collarbone. Our breathing became fast and uneven. Jacob picked me up with both of his arms. My legs automatically wrapped around his hips and my arms wrapped around his neck. He carried me like that into the bedroom and kicked the door closed…

I woke up in Jacob's arms the next morning. He was still asleep. I felt so content and safe with Jacob here. I didn't even care that there was a creepy vampire out there looking for me. I marvelled at the serene look on his face and my hand moved unconsciously to caress his cheek. He eyes popped open and he sat up abruptly.

"What's wrong, Jake?"

"I have to go."

Jacob got out of bed and started putting on his clothes. I wondered if he had to meet up with his pack this morning.

"Will you be back?" I asked. I felt a little confused by his hastiness.

He leaned over the bed to kiss me on the lips gently and then he whispered: "I will be back. I promise." Jacob opened up the window and jumped out.

I felt a little sad by his sudden departure but then the memory of last night made me smile. Our lovemaking was gentle, yet passionate. It was nothing like I have ever felt before. When we were together, it felt so right. I couldn't believe I actually thought that I wasn't the right girl for him.

I got out of bed and decided that I would cook dinner for him tonight. I have never really had to cook for anyone before. Luckily, I had the opportunity to sharpen up my culinary skills while I was living with my grandpa.

I spent the day shopping for groceries and cooking away in my kitchen. I was feeling ecstatic. I couldn't wait to see Jacob again. I opened up the oven to check on the roast beef and I heard a tap on the front door. I ran over to open the door. Jacob pulled me into his arms and kissed me on the lips firmly.

"Hi" I laughed at his sudden boldness.

"Something smells good! What's cooking?"

Jacob held my hand as we walked into the kitchen. I felt giddy as I described our dinner menu for the night. He sat down on a chair and pulled on the apron that I was wearing.

"Let's take this off." He smiled "In fact…"

"Don't you want to eat first?" I asked as I giggled. Jacob pulled me onto his lap.

"That can wait." He muttered as he nuzzled his face into my neck.

I pulled his face towards mine and kissed him gently on the lips. He was untying the apron strings around my neck with his fingers.

"Jake, I spent the whole day cooking this food. I really don't want it to get all cold."

"Okay, okay."

Since I didn't particularly like human food, I sat and watched Jacob ate his dinner. He seemed to be really enjoying the food. I was glad to see him so happy again. My last image of Jacob had been an unsettling thought in the back of my mind since the day we broke up in the forest.

"Tell me, what happened after I left?" I asked curiously.

Jacob didn't reply right away. He took in a deep breath.

"Ness…" He said and then he hesitated. His expression looked serious. I wondered if it was too painful for him to talk about it. I quickly regretted bringing this up.

"Forget that I asked. I was just being curious."

"I.." Jacob began again. He thought for a second and then continued: "I love you, Ness. There is something I should have … dealt with before I came here." Jacob got up from the table.

"You are leaving?" I asked. I was puzzled.

He came around the table to hold me in his arms.

"I will be back for you. I promise."

A few days have gone by and I haven't heard from Jacob. I wondered what was keeping him. I had no doubt that his pack hated me with a passion after what I have done to him. That was probably the reason why Jacob had been acting so strange. I was betting that they wouldn't accept us being together again. I didn't call him because I figured he needed time to deal with his pack.

As I was pondering over all this, someone tapped on the front door. It must be Jacob! I thought happily to myself. I hopped down the stairs, two steps at a time. I could smell the scent of wood and forest just outside the door. I yanked open the door and to my surprise, it wasn't Jacob.

Standing on my porch was Leah Clearwater.


	17. Cry me a river

Chapter 17

"Leah?"

I was very surprised to see her. I wondered what could have brought her here. I was suddenly worried about Jacob.

"Did something happen to Jacob?" I asked.

"Yeah…_you_." She said scornfully.

I had forgotten to invite her to come inside but that didn't matter because Leah strode right in. She walked a few steps into the foyer of my house and turned around to face me.

"I..I don't understand…" I stammered.

I was trying to figure it out in my head. Was she upset at the way I treated Jacob before? That shouldn't matter now that we are happily together again. Something wasn't right with her but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Of course you don't," She said sarcastically. "You are a selfish, bloodsucking monster." She chuckled mockingly and continued "Like mother, like daughter!"

That was the last straw. My mother was the most selfless creature in the world. I could take her insulting me but I couldn't take her insulting my mother.

"Hey!" I yelled out angrily. I went to grab her arm but she pushed me away with her left hand. Her right hand clutched protectively at her stomach. I took a step away from her.

"Leah, are you…?"

"Yes." She said with her head held high. "I am carrying Jacob's baby."

The words fell on me like acid burning through my skin. I couldn't believe my ears. And then all the pieces fell into place. The hastiness with Jacob's departure, the worried look whenever I brought up going home, it all made sense now. Jacob was cheating on Leah…with me! My hand covered my mouth as if to suppress a scream. I couldn't speak. Leah continued her story.

"The night you left, Jacob was devastated. I stayed by his side to comfort him." She paused and turned her back to me. I could see her reflection in the mirror on the wall. "We were together that night…"

Slowly, Leah turned to face me again. "I didn't know I was pregnant until a few days ago, when I suddenly couldn't phase." She looked down at her hands, which were covering her stomach. "I guess my body knew to protect the new life growing inside of me."

I continued to stare at her in silence. This was why Jacob hasn't called. He must have found out that Leah was pregnant. I couldn't believe this was happening. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare and I couldn't wake up.

"After I told him news, he still wanted to see you." Leah looked at me accusingly. "But his father wouldn't let him. So I thought I would come and deliver the news myself."

I couldn't bear listening to her any longer. My eyes were welling with tears. I didn't want to cry in front of Leah. I blinked the tears away.

"I am sorry, Leah. Please believe me that I didn't know any of this." I said breathlessly.

I had to hold myself together to continue. "I won't see him again. You have my word." My voice was barely a whisper.

"Good." Leah took one last look at me and walked out the door.

The moment I locked the door I crumbled into pieces. I laid my head back against the door and sobbed loudly. My eyes were shut tight but my tears were still gushing through my eyelids onto my cheeks. I covered my face with my hands. So much had happened so quickly. My mind couldn't deal with such a sudden change of events. No matter how I looked at it, it was my own doing. I brought this on myself. I couldn't blame Jacob for finding Leah when I was the one who broke up with him in the first place.

I didn't know how long I stood there crying. There was just no end to the tears that were flowing out of my eyes. Eventually I grew tired. I walked up to my bedroom and threw myself onto the bed. Jacob's scent was still on my pillow. I threw the pillow down to the floor and cried some more.

The ringing of my cell phone startled me. I must have fallen asleep on my bed. I looked at the call display and saw that it was Jacob. I didn't answer it. A few seconds later, he was calling again. I didn't want to pick it up but I didn't want him to keep calling me.

"Jake, don't call me anymore." I said in a raspy voice.

"Please, let me explain myself…" Jacob's voice was strained.

"There is nothing left to explain. Leah already told me everything"

"Leah talked to you?" Jacob sounded surprised.

"She was here." I said and I let out a sigh. "Goodbye Jacob."

I hung up the phone. I closed my eyes and bit on my lower lip to stop myself from crying.

The phone rang and rang. I didn't pick it up. I hope he wasn't going to leave me a message. I couldn't bear listening to his voice. It was too much.

I sat on the floor, burying my face into my arms. I didn't want to cry anymore. My tears had run dry. The phone rang again. This time I picked it up on the second ring.

"Don't call me anymore!"

"Wow, I know I didn't call you on my trip, but I didn't think you would be _that_ upset."

It was Justin's voice on the phone.


	18. Family

Chapter 18

Justin's voice was friendly and comforting.

"I just got back this morning. I didn't call you because I lost my cell phone." He said.

"Justin?" I asked and I started sobbing loudly.

"Jade, what's wrong?" Justin's voice was full of concern. "I am coming over right now. Okay?"

"Okay." I sniffled. I was glad that he was coming over. I didn't want to be alone.

Justin's phone call reminded me of something else. Jacob wouldn't be here to save me if the vampire strikes again. The thought brought a chill down my spine. It would just be a matter of time before he found me here. I had to move far away from here. I actually welcomed that idea because everything in this house was bringing back memories of Jacob being here. I started packing right away.

There was a sound on the porch. My head snapped up instantly. Justin couldn't be here yet. It would take him a good hour to reach here by car. I took in a breath to check for scent…vampire. My hands started to shake. I wondered if I should jump out the window. Just then I heard someone speak: "Renesmee?"

It was my mom's voice! I ran down the stairs to open the door. Both of my parents were standing there.

"Mom!" I ran into her open arms.

"It's okay, baby." My mom said as she stroked my hair.

"Jacob told us that you were in danger. We came right away." My dad explained as I led them inside the house.

"There is this vampire, he knew I was a half-breed. He said something about us having a common ability to adapt. I didn't know what he was talking about…"

I put my hand on my mom's face to replay the memory of the encounter. My dad tightened his jaw as he watched the memory through her de-shielded mind.

"We are taking you home, right now." My dad ordered.

"No!" I said instantly. I would rather die than to see Jacob and Leah together. I couldn't go home.

"There is something odd about that." My dad said in reply to my thought. "The imprint is so strongly enforced in his mind. I just can't believe he could act against it."

"Believe it. Leah came and told me herself." I said.

"Leah was here?" Both of them asked at the same time. They sounded surprised, just like Jacob when I told him the same thing.

"Er…Jade?"

All three of us turned our heads to the doorway. I must have left the door open. Justin came in looking a little confused.

"Justin…Come on in." I said.

I had totally forgotten that Justin was coming over. He must be wondering who my parents were.

"You have friends over?" Justin asked.

"No. They are my…brother and his girlfriend. Edward and Bella." I lied.

My parents didn't look a day older than me so there was no way I could introduce them as my parents.

"Oh, you finally found them! Jade was looking all over for you guys." Justin said as he shook hands with my dad. He nodded at my mom and she nodded back.

My mom mouthed the word 'Jade' to me with a big question mark in her expression. I gave her a look that told her to just play along.

Justin turned to look at me. "Are you okay? You sounded pretty upset on the phone."

I let out a sigh and explained: "I just broke up with my boyfriend."

"What happened?"

"I really don't want to talk about it." I said as I looked at the half-packed suitcase. I wondered if I should continue to pack or not.

"You guys are leaving?" Justin asked when he saw the suitcase.

"No. Since…_Jade_ doesn't want to go home with us yet, we are going to stay here with her." My mom replied before I had a chance to open my mouth. I gave her a surprised look.

"Cool! Then we can all hang out." Justin said excitedly.

My dad chuckled. I knew it was over something he read in Justin's mind. I wondered what was so funny.

Since I stocked up in groceries for Jacob, I decided to cook some of the food for dinner. Justin hung out in the kitchen with me while I cooked. My parents excused themselves to go settle down in the guest bedroom.

"So your brother and Bella, they have been going out for a long time?" Justin asked.

"For as long as I remember." I replied while I chopped up some carrots and potatoes.

"How old is he?"

"A year older than me." I replied. I wondered why he had so many questions. I was beginning to worry that he might suspect something.

"Those gold colour contacts are really cool, do you know where they get them from?"

"They are custom made." I lied quickly and then changed the subject. "Hey, you didn't even tell me about your trip yet." I suggested.

Justin spent the rest of the evening telling me all the details about his trip. My parents explained that they were not hungry so they didn't join us for dinner. It was easy to convince Justin to stay over since we drank a bottle of red and a few cans of beer. He was not fit to drive home anyway. We couldn't let him go home with the vampire still out there. I wondered how long we could keep him with us without him suspecting something was wrong. Justin was passed out on the couch. I was feeling exhausted. It had been the longest day of my life.

Alone in the darkness of my room, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about Jacob. My tears were soaking my pillow. I buried my face in it to muffle my sob. Of course my parents still heard me cry. I felt my mom's cold hand on the back of my head. She knew I didn't want to talk, so she sat on my bed with my head on her lap and quietly sang me to sleep.


	19. Troy

Chapter 19 Troy

"Bella and I are going shopping …for underwear." I announced to my dad and Justin.

The truth was that my mom and I needed to hunt this morning. I couldn't think of a better excuse to keep Justin from tagging along.

"I guess I should be going home." Justin said with a mouthful of toast.

"No." My mom and I said at the same time.

"We will be back for lunch. Why don't you stay here and keep Edward company?" I suggested.

"Okay." Justin smiled.

My dad looked like he was choking on something. He probably didn't plan to be babysitting Justin this morning but this was the best arrangement, in case the vampire came here.

My mom and I drove the car to the nearby forest. We didn't need to drive but we wanted to keep up the 'shopping' façade for Justin. The sky was grey and cloudy. I was hoping that it wouldn't rain when we hunt. The rain never bothered my mom like it did for me.

"I know you don't want to talk about Jacob, but there is something that I have to say."

My mom looked at me to make sure I wasn't going to burst out crying.

"Mom…"

"Look, I have known Jacob for a long time. It's just not like him to be disloyal. He loves you more than anything."

"More than he loved you?"

I couldn't believe I said this out loud. This question had been in my head for a while and I never had the courage to bring it up with my mom before.

My mom smiled. She replied without hesitating. "What he had with me was a crush. What he has with you is unconditional love."

I smiled too but then I quickly remembered that Jacob and I were not together anymore.

"It doesn't matter now, he is with Leah." I got out of the car.

Throughout the hunt, my mom didn't bring up Jacob again. She knew I had enough for today. We talked about my aunts and uncles, Esme and Carlisle, and my grandpa.

We drove back to my house in silence. My mom drove while I looked out the window. The house beside mine had always been empty. As we drove past the house, I noticed a large truck parked on the driveway. I wondered who was moving in? I didn't have to wonder too long because when we drove up the driveway to my house, he was standing at the end of the driveway waiting for us.

I took one look at his silhouette and an image flashed through my mind. It was the image of the vampire standing on the rooftop with rainwater dripping from his hair. I shuddered at the thought.

"What is it, Ness?" My mom asked me as she slowly drove up to the man standing on the driveway.

"Nothing" I replied. That was silly. I could hear his heartbeat and the blood pulsing through his veins. This man was obviously human.

When we got out of the car, the man came up to greet us. He was tall and slender. He wore a black, leather jacket on top of a deep burgundy collar shirt. He had on a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes.

"Hi, I am your new neighbour. My name is Troy Davenport."

He took off his sunglasses with one hand and reached out his other hand to me. I was just about to shake his hand when I looked at his face.

I gasped and took a step backward. His face was identical to the vampire I met on the rooftop. He had the same brown, wavy hair that I remembered. The only exception was his light brown eyes. Human eyes.

I was shocked. How could this be? My heart started beating furiously as if I was preparing for a fight. My mom automatically moved in front of me protectively. My dad must have heard my thought. He came out of the house with Justin trailing behind. Could my mind be playing tricks on me?

Troy took his hand back. He turned around to see who came out of the house. He introduced himself again, this time to my dad and to Justin. I forced myself to calm down. My heart and my breathing slowly went back to normal pace. I was starting to think that I was delusional. Just then, Troy held out something in his right hand.

"I picked this up on the driveway, did someone drop their cell phone?" Troy asked.

"Hey, that's my phone. So this is where I dropped it. I was looking for it everywhere…" Justin replied happily.

I didn't hear the rest of Justin's speech. My vitals went ballistic again. I wasn't going crazy. He had Justin's cell phone. He had to be the vampire! I should have been running but I was frozen in place.

Troy looked into Justin's eyes and said: "You found your phone, you should go home."

Justin told us he was going home as if it was his own idea. I was certain that there was going to be danger ahead but I put on a brave face and held my composure so that Justin would leave safely. On the inside, I wanted to scream.

Once Justin's car was out of sight, my parents got into a half-crouched position in preparation for an attack.

"Please, I come in peace." Troy said as he held up his hands.

My dad relaxed his stance instantly and said: "He means no harm to us." He paused to listen to more of his thoughts. "hmm…please do share your story with us."


	20. Half Breed

**Check out my profile page for songs that inspired each chapter!**

Chapter 20

"You can hear what I am thinking?" Troy asked incredulously.

My dad nodded. "Yes, but only I can. My wife and my daughter do not have this ability."

He looked at me and then at my mom.

"Which one of you is Jade?" He asked.

I was too scared and confused to respond. My mom looked at my dad for reassurance. His expression was relaxed. He nodded his head at us.

"I am." I said cautiously.

His brown eyes brightened at my reply. His expression was sincere. He didn't have the malicious look that I remembered seeing on the vampire's face.

"I moved here for you. I need your help."

I was surprised and confused. So many questions were running through my mind. Was he or was he not the vampire on the rooftop? What kind of help could he possibly need from me?

"You have to tell me who you are." I said to him.

"I am a half-breed."

I narrowed my eyes and looked at him more closely. His skin was just as pale as mine. I knew he had a heartbeat and I couldn't detect a vampire scent on him. I wondered if that was how other vampires saw me. Troy began telling his story.

"I was born to a human mother who died giving birth to me. I had no recollection of how I survived the first few years. I just remembered being transferred from one orphanage to another. People knew that there was something wrong with me, but they didn't know what it was. I was unwanted." He paused then he drew in a breath to continue.

"I grew up abnormally fast but I wasn't kept at one place long enough for anyone to notice. Eventually, an old couple adopted me. I lived on the farm with them for a few years. They didn't seem to care that I was growing so fast. They loved me like their own son." He smiled at the memory.

"And then one night, when I was shepherding the sheep, I was suddenly overcome by an irresistible urge to bite. I became keenly aware of the blood pulsing through the sheep. My mouth started watering and my throat ached for the blood. I couldn't understand what was happening. I was frightened."

"My adopted father found me in the barn finishing off the animal. I remember hearing him say my name and then everything went black! It was like I was suddenly trapped inside a black box. I was vaguely aware that my body was still moving but I could not see, hear or feel anything. This went on and on. I couldn't tell you how long I was trapped."

"When I regained my senses, I was lying on the floor of the farmhouse. I went to look for my adopted parents and I found them dead. They were drained of blood." He shook his head and looked at the ground before he continued.

"I have no recollection of killing them but I knew that somehow I was the killer. I fled the house and lived like a fugitive for a few years." He sighed. "Ever since then, I would have these episodes where I would wake up in strange places with no recollection of what I have done and how I got there."

I was mesmerized by Troy's story. It was the most bizarre vampire story I have ever heard. If his story was true, then he is the sadistic vampire that I met on the rooftop. Only he wasn't aware of what he was doing. Then who was controlling his body?

"You don't remember meeting me before?" I asked Troy. He shook his head.

"Then how did you know to find me?"

"I found a cell phone in my jacket after one of my recent episode. I saw that the last phone call was made to someone named Jade Wesley. I looked up your address and came here to check things out. I was expecting you to be dead. But then I saw you guys living in the house and I could sense that some of you were vampires. I became curious."

Apparently he was curious enough to buy the house next door. That shouldn't surprise me. After all, it didn't take much for me to decide to buy _my_ house.

"What is it exactly that you need help with?" My mom asked Troy.

"I want you to kill me."

"What?" I asked astonishingly.

"After realizing what was happening to me, I have tried many times to kill myself. I have never succeeded because whenever my body senses danger, it automatically lets the vampire take over. I suppose it is a survival mechanism." Troy explained. "Since you have met my vampire self and survived. I figure you might be able to kill me."

"Troy, perhaps there is another solution besides committing suicide." My dad spoke up. He put his hand on Troy's shoulder and continued: "My father, Carlisle, might be able to help you. Come with us. He will be extremely interested in your case."

"Wait a minute." My mom interrupted. "We don't know when the vampire will take over Troy. What if it happens before we get back home?" My mom was obviously worried about my safety.

"The last episode was a few days ago. By my count, he wouldn't need to feed for another few days." Troy replied.

"To be safe, Bella and I will travel with you. My daughter will stay behind." My dad said to Troy.

"No, what if the vampire gets past us somehow? She will be here alone and unprotected!" My mom challenged him.

"Wow, you guys treat her like a 5-year-old. Isn't she old enough to make her own decision?" Troy asked curiously.

Both of my parents turned to look at Troy. It was a look that all parents have when someone else tries to tell them how to raise their child. Troy shrugged his shoulders and said: "I am just saying…"

"I will stay." I said. And my parents knew the reason why.


	21. Unwell

Chapter 21

Later that night, I walked out to the backyard of my house to get some fresh air. It was a clear night and all the stars were shimmering bright. I could see the Orion's belt and it reminded me of the time when Jacob and I were stargazing down at the beach. His arms were wrapped around my waist. My head was leaning against his warm chest. We were laughing at some silly joke that he made. How did I let all that slip away?

"It's a beautiful night." Troy said as he walked over from his backyard.

"You can't sleep?" I asked.

Troy shook his head and replied: "This might be the last night of my life."

We both fell silent and looked up at the stars. I thought about how difficult his life must have been, not knowing what he did when the vampire took over his body.

"You are really lucky to have such caring parents."

I chuckled softly and said: "I know."

"I met my father once. He came to look for me when I was hiding out as a fugitive. That's how I found out I was a half-breed." Troy looked up at the sky. "He asked me to stay with him but it wasn't because he cared about me. He just wanted me to be his bait."

"His bait?" I asked.

"Half-breeds like us are less intimidating to human. It would be easier for me to get close to a human and lure them out for him. He knew I didn't want human blood so it would be very beneficial for him. I refused to do it and he left me just like that."

His words pointed to a fact that I never wanted to accept. Wes never loved me. He used me as his bait and I was stupid enough to fall for it.

"Have you ever fallen in love?" I asked Troy.

"Yes." He paused. I wasn't sure if he was going to tell me the story. He drew in breath and continued to speak.

"I knew I couldn't have a normal relationship with a human. There was no doubt that the vampire in me would kill her. It didn't bother me to be alone. Not until I met Vienna."

Troy's eyes brightened and a half smile formed on his lips. "She was the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I couldn't resist looking at her from across the café. She caught me looking and came up to ask me if she had met me somewhere before."

He shook his head and smiled. "I was so nervous I didn't know what to say. She thought I was a foreigner and offered to help me settle in the city."

I already knew the ending to this story but I was still drawn to listen to it. It was obvious that his love for her didn't end with her life. He was still in love with her.

"I went on a few dates with her, each time I was telling myself that it would be the last. I couldn't risk her life like that. So I told her that I had an illness. I even went as far as to tell her that I was a killer. I wanted her to leave me and save herself."

Troy let out a sigh. "She believed in me more than I deserved. Vienna didn't leave me. Instead she stayed to prove to me that I would not harm her because of our love. She wanted to cure me of my illness."

Troy shook his head slowly. "I should have known better! I should have kept her away from me!" He looked at me and said: "I am living with regret everyday."

I felt sad for Troy. There was nothing he could do to fix what had happened to Vienna. She was dead.

"I am sorry." I whispered.

"Don't let it happen to you." Troy replied.

Troy's words made me think. Jacob was still alive and I was doing nothing about our situation. I was being a coward. I reached into the back pocket of my jeans and took out the wooden 'J' keychain. It was attached to nothing. I was missing the key to go home. I suddenly knew what I needed to do.

I needed to face the truth. Even if the truth meant that Jacob wanted to be with Leah and their baby. I would accept it and I would leave with no regrets.

"Thanks, Troy." I looked at him and smiled. "I need to go home."


	22. Confession

Chapter 22

We were ready to leave at sunrise. I took one last look at the house. All the furniture was neatly covered up. Maybe I would come back here someday. I left a note for Justin on the porch. It was time for him to stop hanging out with vampires. Troy was already in the car with my parents. I put on a pair of sunglasses and got into the car.

My dad sat with Troy in the back of the Volvo while my mom and I took the seats in the front. It was my dad's idea, in case Troy has one of his episodes while we were in the car.

"I thought of a potential solution to your problem." My dad said to Troy.

"Let's hear it." Troy replied enthusiastically.

"You know how the vampire traps you inside your own mind? I wonder if you could do the same thing to him?"

"That's an interesting idea. If I could do that then I can take back control of my body." Troy agreed.

"I think you are doing that right now. You just don't know it." My mom added.

"But I am not sure if it's that simple to accomplish. You see, when I am trapped, I loose all my senses and that confuses me." Troy explained doubtfully.

"What you need is someone to guide you out. I wonder if I can still read your thoughts when you are trapped?" My dad said to Troy.

"Even if you can hear me, I won't be able to hear you. How can you guide me out?"

Troy's question was left unanswered. All of us were in deep thought. There were so many speculations with this method, we were all unsure if it would work at all. My eyelids were starting to feel heavy because I didn't sleep much last night. The motion of the car soon rocked me to sleep.

"Ness?" My mom touched my arm. "We are home"

I opened my eyes and saw that we have reached Carlisle's house. My dad and Troy were already out of the car. I was suddenly feeling anxious about seeing my family again. Did they hear about Jacob? How would I answer if they ask me about it?

I dragged my feet as I followed my mom up the steps to the front door. I have only been gone for a month and a half but it felt like I have been away for ages.

Inside, everyone was gathered in the living room. My aunts sandwiched me in a hug as my dad introduced Troy.

Carlisle smiled at me and said: "Welcome home, Nessie."

Esme put her hand on my face and added: "We missed you dearly"

All my anxious feeling went away. I felt silly for thinking that my family would receive me with anything but warmth and love. My dad began to explain the reason for Troy's journey here. The story was so captivating that everyone was silent, except for my Uncle Emmett.

"What?" He laughed. "So you are like a vampire on demand? Sweet!"

Carlisle shot a glance at Emmett. I could understand why. Luckily, Troy didn't seem to mind his joke.

"Wish I could control it though." Troy's smile was bittersweet.

My dad went on to explain his idea for solving Troy's problem. Carlisle considered it for a minute.

"That is a plausible idea. Troy will need some training. It would be similar to how Bella trained her mind to control her shield." Carlisle said as he turned to look at my mom.

"Troy, I believe I can help you train your mind." My dad offered. "When I concentrate on you, I can pick up a faint…diversion to your thoughts. I think I am picking up the thoughts of the vampire inside. We have to train your mind to block him out permanently"

"I want to try, I know I can do it." Troy replied with a voice full of hope.

My dad and Troy went straight into training mode. The rest of us began to leave the living room to allow them to work. Rosalie grabbed my arm gently.

"Ness, I have something for you."

I turned around to look at her and saw that she had a folded letter in her hand. The letter was addressed to me.

"It's from Leah. She was here just before you arrived." Rosalie explained.

I looked at the letter and took in a deep breath. I summoned all my courage and reached over to take the letter from Rosalie's hands. I didn't want to read it here. I needed to be somewhere alone.

"Troy and I will be going out to the forest to practice for a few hours. Why don't you go up to my room?" My dad suggested.

I smiled at my dad. He was always so considerate.

"Thanks, dad."

I walked up to the room and closed the door behind me. I sat down on the black leather sofa and opened up the letter slowly.

_Dear Renesmee,_

_Let me start by saying that I am sorry. By the time you are reading this letter, I have already left my tribe. I am so ashamed of what I have done. I truly hope that my confession will help mend the damages that I have caused. _

_When I told you that I was pregnant, it was a lie. I was never pregnant with Jacob's baby. The night that you left, I found Jacob at the bar. He was devastated. I have never seen Jacob like this before. I was mad at you for having such power over him. Jacob was the chief of our tribe. He was more powerful than all of us. He was more powerful than Sam. I wanted him to love me. I wanted to show Sam that I could get someone better. So I stayed and drank with Jacob until he passed out. I had a plan._

_When Jacob woke up the next morning on my bed, I told him that we had slept together. He tried to apologize but I didn't let him. I cried and laid a guilt trip on him. I told him that the only way he could make up for what he had done was to be with me. He reluctantly agreed. _

_I thought my plan had worked. Jacob was doing everything that I told him to do. I was parading him around like a prize I won. When Jacob tried to break up with me, I cried and made him feel guilty so that he would stay with me. _

_Soon Jacob started disappearing on some nights. No one knew where he went. I suspected that he went to find you. I was sick with jealousy. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stop him from seeing you. So I told Billy that I was pregnant with Jacob's baby and that he had left to see you. I made the elders believe that you were seducing him away from his responsibilities. Billy was enraged. It was considered a tribal felony for a man to walk away from a pregnancy that he initiated. _

_When Jacob came back, Billy and all the elders were waiting for him. Jacob was surprised by the pregnancy news but he didn't deny being involved. All he said was that he needed to go back for you. This made the elders believe that he was under your spell. They forbid him to see you again and they made him wear a pair of iron anklets to prevent him from phasing. Jacob was to be imprisoned until he agrees to stop seeing you and marry me. _

_I thought that this would convince Jacob to marry me and soon I would be truly pregnant. But Jacob refused to submit to their orders. I couldn't believe how stubborn he was. It made me hate you more and more. That was when I decided to pay you a visit. I figured if you refuse to see him, he would have to give up on you eventually. I wasn't thinking clearly when I phased into my wolf form and ran to your house. The hatred was clouding up my mind. _

_When I got back, Billy told me that Jacob had asked to see me. I thought that he was finally coming around. Instead, he confronted me about lying. He knew that I went to see you and there was no way that I could have returned so quickly if I didn't phase. I broke down and confessed everything to him. I expected him to tell Billy right away but he didn't do it. He was protecting me after all that I have done to him. _

_I finally went to confess to the elders this morning. They ordered me to leave the tribe and to never come back. As for Jacob, they still kept him in the iron anklets for fear that he will go back to you. There are rumours among the tribe that you left because you have taken a human life here. They would not let him see you unless you have been proven to be innocent. It didn't help that Jacob and your family have been so tight-lipped about why you left._

_I never believed in the power of the imprint. I had always blamed Sam for choosing Emily over me. Now I understand that nothing could change the force of the imprint. It was never Sam's fault. _

_Jacob loves you and I know that you love him. I truly hope with all my heart that you two will be together. I don't expect you to accept my apology after all that I have done to you and Jacob. But please accept this gift. This feather was passed down to me from my grandfather. It was granted to him for his bravery by the elders of his time. It holds the authority to request a pardon from the tribe, however, the user can never step foot in the reservation again. Use it wisely. Good luck. _

_Leah_

I didn't know what to think after reading this letter. All I knew was that I needed to see Jacob. I looked at the small, black and silver feather in my hand. It was attached to a leather rope. I secured the rope around my neck and jumped out the window.


	23. Judgement day

Chapter 23

I ran as fast as I could through the forest. I was only a few seconds away from Jacob's house when something knocked me out of my path. I hit a tree nearby and fell onto the ground.

"Paul? What the hell?"

The giant wolf with dark, silver fur growled furiously at me. Three other wolves came out slowly from behind the trees. I was surrounded.

"Nessie!" Jacob jumped onto a low-lying branch, did a flip and landed beside me.

"Back off!" He ordered the wolves but they didn't retreat.

Jacob had lost command of his pack. He still had on the iron anklets, which were a lot thicker and heavier looking than I imagined. There was really no way he could phase without crushing his bones. He wrapped his arms around me protectively. I buried my face in his chest and closed my eyes. My arms held him tightly to me. I didn't want to ever let him go again. I couldn't speak because I was struck by an overwhelming feeling - I was home.

When I opened my eyes, I saw that Embry and Seth were in human form. They stood with the wolves and stared at us with disbelief.

"Jake, are you freaking out of your mind?" Embry asked angrily.

"If you guys want to kill her, you will have to get past me." Jake replied.

All of a sudden, Paul charged forward and knocked Jacob on the side. Jacob wrapped himself around me, shielding me from the blow. Then another blow came from a different direction. I couldn't see anything with Jacob hovered over me. I only heard Jacob grunt in pain.

"Stop it, you guys are going kill him!" Seth yelled out to the wolves.

"You are sick, Jake. She has you under her spell. You are protecting a killer. Don't you know what this means for you?" Embry yelled at Jacob.

"You guys can do whatever you want with me, just let her go" Jacob replied breathlessly.

His breathing was fast and shallow. It sounded like he was hurt. I clutched him closely to me. His arm was bleeding and bruises were already visible on his face and his body. His eyes were focused on the wolves. I couldn't let Jacob take another blow. It was me that they wanted. I had to do something.

"Jacob," It was his father's voice. Sam was with him, pushing his wheelchair.

"Let go of her, son." He ordered.

"No" Jacob said stubbornly. His arms wrapped tighter around me.

"Let go, Jake!" Embry said in a frustrated voice.

Paul charged forward again. This time I pushed Jacob aside to save him from the attack. The giant wolf rammed me to the ground. He stood straddled over me, snapping his sharp teeth just above my neck. The black and silver feather was jostled out of my shirt. He suddenly stopped and lifted his head towards Sam.

"Wait!" Sam called out to Paul. He ran over to examine the feather.

"Where did you get this?" He asked.

"Leah gave it to me." I replied breathlessly. " I am requesting a pardon from the tribe."

I sat up slowly and looked around. The wolves retreated and Sam stared at me in disbelief. The feather obviously held more power than I thought. I untied the leather rope around my neck and handed the feather over to Sam.

"We need to convene with the elders." Sam said.

With the wolves closely behind us, Jacob and I walked hand in hand towards the field where the elders were gathered. Jacob's father was among the group. He was explaining to the others what had happened. When we reached the elders, the wolves spread out to surround us in a circle. Jacob and I stood in the middle, facing the elders of the tribe. Embry and Seth were still in their human form. They stood beside the wolves. Jacob's father, Billy, spoke on behalf the others.

"This feather was given to Ahktar Clearwater by our ancestors for his bravery in catching a serial killer within our tribe. It holds the authority to _request_ a pardon from the tribe."

Billy's speech clearly pointed out to me that this was merely a request. Whether the request will be granted was dependant on the nature of the sin and the decision of the elders.

"Renesmee, we honour the authority of the feather for your request, but you must declare to us the sin that you have committed against the tribe."

Jacob squeezed my hand and looked at me with furrowed brows. I realized that my sin was not something they could easily pardon, but I felt surprisingly calm. I looked into Jacob's eyes and I knew that he would face the outcome with me no matter what it was. I was ready to tell the truth and to face my judgement.

"I bit a human." I said in a remorseful tone

There was rumbling among the wolves. The elders looked at each other.

"The truce is off!" Sam said angrily.

Billy held up his hand to quiet the wolves. He took in a deep breath and said: "This is a very grave sin that you have committed. It is precisely the sin that would destroy the truce we have with your family."

Panic shot through me like a lightening bolt. I was ready to accept my consequences but I couldn't let my family be punished for what I have done.

"My family didn't do anything wrong. What happened was solely my fault." I cried.

Suddenly, the wolves around us became restless. Sam looked at Paul and asked:

"What is it?"

Paul abruptly turned around and ran into the forest. To all of our surprise, he came back in human form with Carlisle and my dad trailing behind him. They both held up their hands to demonstrate that they came in peace. My dad looked at me to make sure I was okay.

_I'm okay_, I thought to my dad, _but the truce is off! I am so sorry…_

My dad nodded his head ever so slightly to acknowledged my thought. Paul walked into the middle of the circle to inform the elders of the situation.

"There is a vampire on the loose. Carlisle and Edward followed him to the border of our land. Collin was on patrol. He took over the chase but the vampire got away."

"Carlisle, what can you tell us about this vampire?" Billy asked.

"He is a half breed, but unlike Renesmee, the vampire half takes complete control of his body while trapping the human half inside his mind. We have discovered that he can project this ability outward. He can make you lose all your senses temporarily. He is highly dangerous."

There was rumbling among the wolves and people alike. My mouth fell open and I gasped. Carlisle was talking about Troy. He must have transformed while he was training with my dad. The vampire had taken control of his body and he was on the loose. It would be difficult to find him now, if only we could lure him out…

"I will catch him." Everyone turned to look at me.

"No. It's too dangerous." Jacob whispered to me as he pulled me closer to him.

"It's the only way to redeem myself." I whispered back to Jacob.

"Renesmee may be the only one who can stop this vampire." My dad announced to the group. "We know that he has been looking for her so she could draw him out. Most importantly, Renesmee's ability to project thoughts could be of use in converting him back to human."

I wasn't sure what my dad was saying but I was willing to try it. I had to stop the vampire from taking more human lives. I had to do it for my family and for Troy. The elders were in deep discussion over my fate. I leaned on Jacob's arm for support and he wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"Renesmee, catching this killer upholds the spirit of the feather. We will pardon your sin if you could stop him from taking more human lives. We will not pursue you and your family as enemies. The truce will remain. However, you will not be allowed to enter our land again. From now on, you will be treated no different than the rest of your family."

I wasn't sure what that would mean for my relationship with Jacob. We would have to figure it out somehow. I needed to catch Troy and convert him back to human.

"Let me lead the pack again. I fought him before, I know how he fights." Jacob said to the elders. They nodded their heads at each other.

"Ness, let's go." My dad motioned for me to leave with them.

I kept my eyes on Jacob's face as I took a step away from him. He was still holding my hand. I couldn't believe I had to let him go again. Tears started welling up in my eyes. I ran back into his arms one last time. He held me tightly against his body.

"Come back to me." He whispered in my ear.

"I promise."

I walked slowly backward until our hands were no longer touching. I turned around and ran into the forest.


	24. Killer

Chapter 24

Once again I left Jacob standing in the forest while I ran away. Our parting scene reminded me of the last time we broke up. Although this time, there was no trace of doubt over our love for each other. Still, there was an immense challenge ahead for our relationship to survive. I didn't know how could be together without the acceptance of his family and his pack.

"They will come around. Just give them some time." My dad replied to my thought.

We continued running through the forest. The plan was to re-group at Carlisle's house and decide on a tactic to capture Troy. We were still a few minutes away from the house when I suddenly caught a scent. Vampire. I quickly switched course to follow the scent. I wanted to catch Troy as soon as possible.

"No!" My dad yelled out from behind me.

I didn't turn back. The scent was fleeing away at a rapid speed. I didn't want to lose track of him. I continued my pursuit. Behind me, I could sense only my dad following me. Carlisle must have gone back to his house to recruit for back up. I followed the scent into a small clearing in the forest and then I stopped. I couldn't see him anywhere.

"So we meet again." Someone whispered behind me.

I turned around and saw Troy standing there. But I could tell from his stance that it wasn't really Troy. A lock of his wavy brown hair was touching his brow; his red eyes were glistening. The vampire had taken control of Troy's body.

My heartbeat quickened. It was a bad idea to chase him by myself. I turned to run but he caught me by my waist.

"Don't go yet, the party is just starting." he said mockingly

His head snapped up suddenly and my dad pushed him to ground. A struggle between the two of them ensued. But it was short lived. My dad's body became limp and Troy pushed his body aside. There was a blank look on my dad's face.

"Dad!" I yelled but he didn't reply.

Troy stood up and ran his hand through his hair.

"It's just you and me, pretty face."

He caught my wrist as I tried to put my hand onto his face. I tried to break free but his hold was too strong.

"Tsk, tsk" Troy shook his head at me.

My dad was still lying on the ground. I knew I was in deep trouble. A loud growl caught our attention and all I saw was Jacob crashing through in his wolf form. Troy and Jacob rolled onto the ground in a struggle. The jaw snapping sound was deafening but then it stopped abruptly and Jacob fell onto the ground.

"Jake!" I yelled. He seemed lifeless and his eyes were blank just like my dad's.

Troy and I both looked to the forest. There were more growling sound and it was becoming louder. There were probably three or four wolves coming rapidly this way. Troy took off instantly while I hesitated. Killing the vampire Troy meant killing the human Troy too. I was still hoping that we could convert him back to human somehow.

Jacob got up on his feet slowly. He crawled behind me and wrapped his neck around my body. I automatically put my hand on his thick, furry neck. The noise from the forest grew louder. My long ponytail flew with the wind as three giant wolves ran past us. Jacob lifted his head to look at me briefly and then he took off in the same direction as the other wolves.

My dad walked up to me and put his arm around my shoulder. He narrowed his eyes as he stared into the forest. 

"He got away."

"Let's go get the others." I suggested to my dad. I knew just where to track him down.

The night has fallen when we got back to Carlisle's house. My dad was giving an update of what just happened in the forest. All of us stared at Alice when she came down the stairs wearing a red sequin tube top and a black miniskirt. Everyone looked surprised except for me.

"What? We are going to a club." Alice announced audaciously.

We arrived at the club in Carlisle's new car, a white Bentley. The people outside were already turning their heads to stare at the car. When the parking attendant opened the back passenger door, their eyes got even bigger. I stepped out with my mom and Alice following closely behind. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at us. Their mouths fell open as their eyes took in our every move. Behind us, Jasper threw the keys at the parking attendant. My dad got out of the passenger side and followed us to the club entrance. I could see some of the women smiling at them and it made me want to roll my eyes. The bouncer took one look at us and opened up the door.

Once we got inside, we spread out to search for Troy. We could taste his scent in the air but there were too many people blocking our view. My dad and Jasper stood by the bar. I saw a woman brushed her arm on my dad's jacket and smiled seductively at him. My dad looked over us and my mom shook her head disapprovingly. I couldn't help but smile.

My mom and Alice decided to check out the VIP rooms while I stayed on the dance floor. The music was blasting and everyone around me was moving in sync to the beat. There was only one person who wasn't moving to the music. He had a pair of sunglasses on his face, but there was no mistaking the wavy brown hair and the pale white skin.

_He is on the dance floor!_ I thought to my dad.

Suddenly, everyone in the club stopped moving and with a loud thud, they all dropped to the ground. Only Troy and I remained standing. My mom came out of the VIP room and stood at the edge of the dance floor. There were piles of bodies lying lifeless between her and us. The music was still blasting away.

"hmm…my trick doesn't work on you…or her." Troy said curiously.

It turned out Carlisle was right. My thought projection allowed me to by pass his mind-trapping trick. My mom's shield could probably have protected us if we didn't spread out around the club. Carlisle had also mentioned that if I could project thoughts to communicate with Troy, there was a chance that I could guide him out. Troy was standing too far for me to touch his face. I had to lure him closer.

"You know, I have been thinking about your… proposal." I said innocently. "If we could create more of our kind, we can take any territory we want." I tried to lie as convincingly as possible.

Troy smiled and moved his feet to clear his path. He took one step towards me.

"Jade, we are the new breed of vampires. We can procreate and they can't." He took another step towards me.

I had to focus on keeping my body from shaking. He was only four feet away. My mom paced back and forth on the outskirt of the dance floor. She was looking for a way to get to us without crushing the bodies lying on the floor. I was getting a little impatient. I wanted to project my thoughts on him.

"I can't hear you, come closer." I suggested to him.

Troy cocked his head slightly and took off his sunglasses. His gleaming red eyes narrowed. He charged towards me suddenly and put me in a headlock.

"You conniving little…"

"Ness!" My mom screamed. She jumped up to the balcony on the side and then leaped towards the chandelier hanging just above us. Troy looked up at the chandelier as it rocked back and forth. I took that split second opportunity to reach my hand up and grabbed his face.

Troy! Can you hear me? Follow my voice and you will find your way out. You can do it. Do it for Vienna!

I closed my eyes and projected the memory of our conversation under the starry night sky. Troy gasped and his mouth fell open. He let go of my head and moved both of his hands to his face. I kept my grasp tight and continued to project. He was suddenly convulsing and then he fell abruptly to the ground. My mom jumped down from the chandelier and put her arms around me. We both peered cautiously at Troy.

Troy blinked twice and looked towards us. His eyes were brown. He sat up slowly and smiled.

"Thanks,…Should I call you Jade or Renesmee?"

"Why don't you call me Nessie?" I said as I offered my hand to help him up.

Everyone in the club was slowly getting back up. It was a mass confusion for them but then soon enough people were dancing again. I updated my dad through my thoughts and signalled Alice and Jasper to exit the club. We walked out of the club together and gathered on the street.

"You did it! Do you think you can keep him locked up for a while?" My dad exclaimed to Troy.

"Easily. Once I figured it out, it doesn't take much to keep him blocked out of my mind." Troy replied.

"What do you plan to do now?" I asked curiously.

"I am going to start a new life."

"Maybe you will meet someone like Vienna."

Troy chuckled once and said, "No, I won't. There is no one else like her. But I have to move on. I do believe there is someone out there for me." He paused and then he added: "Just like how Jacob is to you."

I was surprised he knew who Jacob was. I was pretty sure I never mentioned him before.

"You projected some memory of him over to me…unintentionally." Troy smiled and everyone giggled.

I was deathly embarrassed. I didn't even want know which part of the memory I projected.

I was suddenly in a hurry to get back. I caught the killer and converted him back to human. This was enough for the elders to pardon my sin and for the pack to not pursue me as an enemy. But would it be enough for them to accept me as part of Jacob's life?


	25. Ever after

Here's the final chapter. It was the hardest chapter to write. I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did! Watch for the sequel to this story. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 25

I was half expecting to see Jacob waiting by the porch when we returned to Carlisle's house. I looked around and saw that everything was glowing in the silver moonlight. But there was no Jacob anywhere in sight. I was slightly disappointed. Inside the house, my mom was telling everyone how we captured Troy and converted him back into human. Well, half-human, anyway. I wasn't paying attention. I couldn't hide my despair over the fact that Jacob wasn't inside the house waiting for me. I plopped myself on the white sofa and let my fingers played with my long ponytail. The elastic band was irritating me so I tore it apart with one touch and shook out my long brown hair.

"Maybe this will fix your mood a little…" Rosalie said as she handed me a note.

It was from Jacob. This better not be a goodbye letter like the one from Leah, I thought to myself. I looked up at Rosalie for clues. Her smile was a good sign but she refused to say anything about it.

"Just read it. He was waiting for you here but you took so long to get back."

"Okay, okay."

I opened up the note and there was only one line, written in Jacob's messy handwriting.

_Meet me at the willow tree by the river. _

I smiled instantly. This was our special tree. It was a place just beyond my dad's mind reading zone and my uncle Jasper's mood detecting range while they were inside Carlisle's house. I looked down at my drape-neck, backless gold dress and wondered if I should change. I really didn't want to waste another minute so I kept what I had on and ran out the door.

When I got to our meeting place, I didn't see Jacob right away. I went up to the willow tree to see if the carving was still on the trunk. Jacob had carved our names on the tree a year ago. My fingers were tracing the letters when I sensed him standing behind me. I smiled and turned around. Jacob was shirtless as usual. The full moon was highlighting his broad shoulders and his chest muscles. I grabbed his belt and playfully pulled him towards me. He placed his hands on the tree trunk, enclosing me between his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stared into his smouldering eyes. It had been such a long time since we were alone together like this. The feel of his skin was igniting my whole body. He leaned in and kissed me on the lips. His lips felt soft and hot against mine. It made me feel like I was going to burst into flames. I pulled him closer to me until his body was pressing me against the tree. His lips were crushing down on mine and I responded just as forcefully. Our breathing was uneven when he took his lips off of mine. He cradled my face in his hands and looked into my eyes.

"I can't lose you again, Renesmee" He whispered breathlessly, "Marry me."

My eyes widened. I was a little surprised by the sudden proposal.

"But your father and your pack…" I whispered back to him.

"I don't care." He replied quickly. "Marry me."

For a second, I was feeling uncertain. I didn't want him to have to go against his father and his tribe. Could we convince them to give us their blessings? I hope what my dad said was true. In time they would come around and accept me again. I was not allowed on their land but we could still be together on this side of the border.

Jacob was starting to look a little worried. I smiled reassuringly at him. I was thinking too much. Jacob had asked me to marry him! I nodded my head gently and whispered: "Yes."

A big smile appeared on Jacob's face and he kissed me firmly on the lips. He howled playfully at the full moon and it made me chuckle.

"Wait," He said as he pulled out a jewellery box from the pocket of his jeans.

I made a face at him. He should have known how I felt about engagement rings.

"I know you don't like the traditional engagement ring, so I got you something else."

I looked at him curiously as I took the box from his hands. Inside the jewellery box was a necklace with a 2-karat teardrop shaped diamond pendant. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

"This is the only teardrop I ever want to see on you." Jacob lifted the necklace out of the box to put it around my neck. "My wife will never need to shed a tear."

My eyes were welling up with happy tears just as he said that.

"Except for happy tears." Jacob added with a smile. I chuckled.

This moment was so perfect; I wanted to remember it forever. I leaned my head on Jacob's warm chest as he wrapped his arms around me. My hand played with the diamond pendant that was now around my neck. Across the river somewhere, I could feel a pair of eyes staring at us. In a distance, I could hear howling of an angry wolf.

The next morning, Jacob went to talk to his father about our engagement. Since I wasn't allowed on their land anymore, I stayed at Carlisle's house to wait for him. My parents thought that we should have waited a little longer.

"Humans need more time than us to process thoughts and feelings." My dad explained.

"Jacob would wait for you." My mom reassured me.

It didn't help that Jacob wasn't just anybody in the tribe. He was the chief and his business was everyone's business. I could just imagine their shock over the fact that their chief was marrying a half-vampire that had just confessed to biting a human. I covered my face with hands and let out a sigh.

It was almost noon and Jacob had not shown up yet. I was getting a little impatient. I didn't want to wait in the house anymore so I decided to go for a walk. Deep in the forest, someone called my name.

"Renesmee"

I looked around to see who it was. I could detect the scent of a wolf. Paul walked out in human form from behind a tree.

"Paul?" I asked warily. The last time we met, it was in a less than friendly situation to say the least.

"Our tribe has lost our chief, I hope you are happy now." Paul said sarcastically.

"What?"

"Oh don't pretend you didn't tell him to quit the tribe." He said spitefully.

I gasped. Jacob was quitting the tribe just to marry me. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't let that happen. The tribe needed him and he belonged with them. I never thought it would come to such extremes.

"Well, you got what you want. Jacob is going to see the elders now." Paul continued.

"He can't quit! I…I have to stop him" I didn't know what I could do to stop him. I couldn't enter their land to talk to him. By the time he comes out, it would be too late.

Paul chuckled mockingly at me. "You are kidding right? YOU are the reason why he wants to leave us. He can't be with you on our land so he is taking himself outside of it. Seriously, Renesmee, can you take your evil spells or whatever it is somewhere far away from us? Our tribe has had enough of you."

I turned around so that Paul couldn't see the tears rolling down my cheeks. Paul didn't say goodbye before he took off into the forest. I felt horrible about what was happening to his tribe. Jacob was determined to be with me. As long as I was around, he would be fighting against his tribe to marry me.

I went back to Carlisle's house and started pacing around the living room. I had to convince Jacob not to quit his tribe. I had to do something before it was too late. An idea came to me and I quickly stopped myself from thinking about it. My dad was in the house and I didn't want to discuss this with him. I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and ran out of the house. Once I got to the willow tree, I sat down and wrote a note for Jacob.

_Jacob, _

_I love you. I can't let you quit your tribe just so that you can marry me. The tribe needs you as their chief. This was what you were born to be. Perhaps we need to give them some time to accept me in your life again. So I have decided to go away for a while. I promise I will be back. _

_Renesmee_

I waited by the riverside for a wolf to pass by. It was Seth on patrol today.

"Seth!" I called out to him.

The sandy colour wolf jumped across the river and stopped in front of me. I handed the letter to him and told him to give it to Jacob right away. He nodded his head and held the letter in between his teeth.

"Thanks, Seth. You are a great friend."

No one was at the stone cottage when I packed my luggage and took my dad's silver Volvo out of the garage. I was hoping that I didn't need to leave for too long. The thought of not seeing Jacob was heartbreaking but I had to do it in order to convince him not to leave his tribe.

I arrived at the airport and got on the next plane flying out to Rio de Janeiro. My parents and I have been to Isle Esme a few times for vacation. I knew exactly how to get there. Luckily, my dad had taught me how to sail his speedboat. It was going to be a long flight and I felt exhausted. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

By the time I got to the island it was late afternoon the next day. I got into the house using the key underneath the doormat and I put my luggage down by the foyer. This was where my parents spent their honeymoon after they got married. My fingers searched for the diamond pendant around my neck. I flipped it around and around in my hand. If my parents could get married against all the challenges they had, Jacob and I should be able to do it too.

I carried the luggage upstairs and opened it up to look for a change of clothes. My mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of Jacob. What if they never accept me in his life? Could I live without marrying him? I pushed that thought aside quickly. It was too painful to consider that outcome. I decided to take a walk on the beach. Hopefully, it would help clear up my mind.

On the beach, the sun was setting and the wind was starting to pick up. It was a comfortable warm breeze. It made my chiffon white dress dance around my legs. I was glad that I braided my hair around the crown of my head. Otherwise, my hair would have been all over my face.

Suddenly, I saw a figure in a distance. Was I imagining things? As if it was a dream, I saw Jacob standing there. He was wearing a cream coloured vest on top of a white-collar shirt. The shirt was unbuttoned around his neck and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He had on a pair of khaki pants and they were rolled up to his ankles. He looked so handsome that I couldn't find my breath. In his hand was a bouquet of red roses.

I started running towards him. I couldn't believe that he was really standing there with his arms opened. I ran straight into his embrace and buried my face in his chest. He lifted my chin and kissed me gently on my lips.

"Are you ever going to stop running away from me?" Jacob asked playfully.

"I can't let you give up your tribe."

"I am not giving anything up. Once the elders realized that I would consider leaving to marry you. They are willing to turn a blind eye. I would prefer that they let us get married the traditional way inside the reservation, but this is a compromise I could live with."

"So we can get married but I am still not allowed on your land." I concluded.

"Give them some time, they will come around." Jacob said reassuringly.

"Guys? Are we getting married or what?" A voice called out to us.

I turned to look in the direction of the voice and I was surprised to see my family gathered on the beach. It was Alice's voice. She was hurrying us to walk over to them. She and Rosalie were both wearing red strapless dresses that matched the colour of my bouquet. My mom was standing beside Esme. They were both wearing red dresses with a deeper hue. My dad was wearing a beige suit with a white shirt underneath. And then I saw Carlisle. He was standing alone with a bible in his hands.

I bit my lower lip to stop myself from crying. I couldn't believe what was happening. It was truly like a dream coming true. I never thought my wedding dress would be a white, halter chiffon dress but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered as long as I can marry Jacob right here and right now.

Jacob handed me the bouquet and we walked hand in hand towards Carlisle. He looked at us with joy in his eyes. We stood face to face in front of Carlisle as he began reciting the marital vows. When it came time for us to say our 'I do's', I could barely reply without choking up tears. Jacob's reply was much clearer than mine. Carlisle proceeded to pronounce us as man and wife. Everyone cheered loudly as Jacob leaned in to kiss me firmly on my lips. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back. Just then I thought I heard some howling. I turned my head to look and I saw Seth and Quil standing beside my dad. I was glad that at least some of the pack members were here.

Carlisle congratulated us and then my parents came up to give us each a hug. The rest of my family came to hug us and congratulate us. Finally, Seth and Quil came up to us.

"Seth, I want to thank you for everything and I am sorry about Leah."

Seth shrugged his shoulders. "She lives in France now. She sounds happy."

Quil and Jacob exchanged a quick hug. I thanked Quil for coming.

"You should have seen the frantic look on Jacob's face when he read your note! Luckily your dad heard your thought about coming here. We flew here right away on Carlisle's private jet." Quil said to me.

"That was so cool!" Seth joined in.

"Guys, you are going to miss your flight if you don't leave soon." Alice announced to us.

"Where are we going?" I asked her.

"Your honeymoon, of course!" She said exasperatedly as she loaded a heavy looking luggage onto the speedboat. I looked at the plane tickets that she handed to me. It was for Paris!

"Thanks, Alice!" I said as I hugged her. I had always wanted to go to Paris.

Jacob took my hand and we boarded the speedboat. With a final wave to my family, I turned on the motor and we sped off into the open sea.

THE END

_Sequel summary: _

_Against the tribe's order, Jacob married Renesmee and went to Paris for their honeymoon. Jacob was suddenly summoned back to the tribe for a crisis and Renesmee was left alone in a strange city. With Jacob away frequently, Renesmee made friends with a local vampire. Jacob must once again choose between his duty and his love… _


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